Recently we've seen a rash of people either injuring their Achilles tendon or dealing with pain in their Achilles tendon. Keeping up with a fitness program under these conditions is tough because if you're standing, you're using your Achilles tendon. It runs from the bottom of your calf muscle to the back of your heel, and the tendon's primary responsibility is to help move the foot up and down like a hinge. Yet it's also a stabilizing factor simply standing upright. You may have injured it if you feel pain around your heel. You know you've torn it away from its connection points when you hear a loud pop and drop to the floor in extreme pain. A torn tendon may even ball up at the base of your calf.
There is only one remedy to fix a torn Achilles and that's to reattach it surgically. The operation is fairly straightforward, but the recuperation is about a six- to eight-month ordeal. If you have a warning signal in the form of pain, the best thing to do is rest it. Forget walking, jogging, racquet sports or calf exercises until you can manage these movements pain-free. While you're recovering, try a combination of ice (to reduce inflammation) and heat (to enhance flexibility), along with some natural or over-the-counter anti-inflammatories.
Like with any injury, the best thing to do is prevent Achilles pain in the first place. It's important to boost exercise intensity, but do it gradually as this injury is common with over-achievers who don't have a fitness level to match. One thing to steer clear of is running or jogging on a consistent incline, which may overstretch the Achilles. We're not talking about the occasional hill; rather we're talking about running, jogging or even walking on a steady incline, like on a treadmill, over an extended period of time. If you want to challenge yourself on a cardio workout, try simply running or walking faster over varying distances. You'll get the same great workout without the potential for long-term Achilles tendon damage.
Book Dan Polimino to speak at your next meeting or event today. For program information contact us at info@BookDan.com, visit www.BookDan.com or call 303-683-4795.