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Strengthening Achilles Tendon?

  • 05-04-2010 5:14pm
    #1
    O.P.H
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 856 ✭✭✭


    Back playing alot of soccer and getting sore Achilles tendon from time to time, mainly due to not warming up and down properly but used to have problems years ago with tight Achilles tendons anyway.

    I want to start strengthening them and what I'm gonna do is incorporate calf raises into weights exercises. Using step will do 3 sets of 20 reps, first set toes pointing out, second set toes pointing in, last set toe pointing straight. Gonna start off with just body weight. Got this idea off youtube.

    Any other ideas on how to how best prevent injury?


Comments

  • #2
    AugustusMinimus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭AugustusMinimus


    I've had achillies tendonitis before. My physios advice was as follows

    1. Do calf raises standing on a step so that the heel of your foot can drop below your toes.
    2. Push your body weight up as usual, but leave yourself down very slowly.
    3. Start doing this with both feet at once for a few days and keep going until your tendon begins to get sore. At this point stop.
    4. After a few days, start to do this with one foot at a time. Keep going until it gets even a bit sore and then stop straight away.
    5. Eventually start to do this in the gym with either weights or if you can, on the leg press.

    Seemingly its the big where you are letting yourself down slowly which builds strength in your tendon.


    On prevention. Was told that one of the prime causes of achillies tendonitis is tight calves. Hence, stretch them, possibly every day. It doesn't take long. Also make sure you focus on calf stretches which stretch the bottom half of your calf.


  • #3
    O.P.H
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 856 ✭✭✭O.P.H


    Thanks very much, sounds like good advice.


  • #4
    AugustusMinimus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭AugustusMinimus


    BTW, how much soccer are you playing each week ? Mightn't be a bad idea to take a week off from playing soccer itself to leave the inflamation go down.

    Other things I've heard to do is to take Nurofen to help with the inflamation and maybe icing your achillies tendon after any exercise.


    I used to suffer a lot from this. I'd stand up out of bed in the morning and I could instantly feel my tendons not being right just below my calf. A very annoying injury which unlike a strained calf, takes time to heal.


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