Joints Are the Ultimate Flex

When we think of bodily strength we think of long bones or muscles, things that only crack or tear under the worst pressure. In contrast, joints seem weak—in part because they give way before bones do. But their flexibility is our defense. Every weird tooth movement is a sensation, a broken tooth avoided. Every shift of the hips is a time they didn’t crack. Each step or lifted weight places pressure on the joints in our bones, and the joints gently give way. Joints remind us that there’s strength in flexibility.