Exercise for Achilles & Calf Injuries

Seek medical attention. Find a doctor who specializes in sports medicine before engaging in any sports-related injury treatment, even exercises. These professionals can monitor your recovery and guide you along your path to recovery. Also, if during your recovery, you suffer a re-injury or your condition worsens, your doctor will know what course of action to take.

Warm up with low-impact aerobics. Walking or cycling slowly will get the blood flowing to your calf and lower leg. This is important as it softens up your muscles and prepares your tendons for more strenuous activity. Failing to warm up may hamper your progress or even aggravate your injury.

Stretch your calf and Achilles. Stand with both feet together and raise up on your toes. Hold for five seconds and then slowly lower back down. Repeat 10 times to stretch both your calf muscle and your Achilles tendon.

To further stretch your Achilles tendon, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Place a towel across your toes and hold the ends in both hands. Pull gently until you feel tension. Hold for five seconds and slowly release. Repeat 10 times.

Strengthen your muscles. Similar to the stretching exercise in Section 3, stand with both feet together. Place dumbbells or a lightly-weighted barbell in your hands and stand on your toes. Repeat 10 times. More weight can be added as your recovery progresses.

Place a strength resistance band across your toes and hold each end in your hands (similar to the stretching exercise, but replacing the towel). Extend your toes forward slowly and return with a smooth, continuous motion. Repeat 10 times. Stronger bands can be substituted as your recovery progresses.