New Exercises For Fixing Achilles Injuries
Avoid chronic issues by strengthening your tendons and making them more resilient.
Despite its broad width and significant length, runners injure their Achilles tendons with surprising regularity.
In a recent study of 69 military cadets participating in a six-week basic training program (which included distance running), 10 of the 69 trainees suffered an Achilles tendon overuse injury. The prevalence of this injury is easy to understand when you consider the tremendous strain runners place on this tendon (e.g., during the push-off phase of running, the Achilles is exposed to a force of seven times body weight). This is close to the maximum strain the tendon can tolerate without rupturing. Also, when you couple the high strain forces with the fact that the Achilles tendon significantly weakens as we get older, it is easy to see why this tendon is injured so frequently.
Anatomically, the Achilles tendon represents the conjoined tendons of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Approximately five inches above the Achilles attachment to the back of the heel, the tendons from gastrocnemius and soleus unite to form a single, thick Achilles tendon. Continue reading more.....
