Exercises For Achilles Tendonitis: The Ultimate Guide
Updated: Oct 28
Achilles tendonitis is something that I have been cursed with, in fact, I have been side-lined from running 5-6 times with 6-8 weeks out each time and it was always when I was in shape to run a 10k pb.
The thing is I ran without issue for years, then my Achilles went once and then the other one went and then it was just a continuous cycle of managing Achilles pain until I couldn’t manage it any longer. I had tried all sorts of exercises for Achilles tendonitis, however, all these did was fix the pain and allow me to not, they never actually addressed the route cause of the problem.
However, all that changed when I found a new method of treating my Achilles problems.
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Why do we get Achilles problems?
The Achilles tendon connects our calcaneus bone to our gastrocnemius muscle (1). When we are running or jumping and we land- our Achilles takes almost all our the power and weight of the landing.
This is equal to:
At least 2 times our body weight when we are running
Up to 8 times our body weight when sprinting
3-12 times our body weight when jumping
Our Achilles is naturally a very strong tendon but this is asking a lot! Especially if you think you go and run for 30 minutes and with every step your Achilles is taking twice your body weight.
Read this article from Bupa: Achilles Tendonitis Symptoms, Causes and Treatment.
So is the Achilles just a fatal floor in the human design?
Evolutionarily humans ran a lot more than they do right now and I can guarantee you that we did not suffer from Achilles tendonitis.
So, what happened?
Well, chairs were invented, so we started sitting down for 10 hours per day and shoes were created so we no longer walked around barefoot.
What this has done is shorten our Achilles tendon, make us weak, and lose most of our natural mobility. When an infant sees something on the floor that they want they will go into a deep squat with their knees over their toes and their bums nearly touching the floor to pick it up, most go on to lose this ability by the age of 6 when you are told to sit in a chair for 7 hours a day in school.
So am I suggesting that you never wear shoes, never sit down, and don’t let your kids go to school? Of course not, I have a far easier solution!
Commonly known exercises for Achilles tendonitis:
1) Eccentric Achilles loading
This is the number 1 most effective short-term method that most people know of for solving Achilles' problems.
This exercise helps to improve the amount of load the Achilles tendon can manage and also selectively damages the fibres to help to get them in line, consequently speeding up the recovery process.
This exercise is great for improving the recovery time of your injury and can help to prevent it from coming back, however, doesn't address the root cause of the problem.
Check out this blog from Christopher Miller: Achilles Tendinitis Eccentric Exercises.
2) Friction massage
When you get Achilles tendonitis your collagen fibres are all out of place and messy when your body is rebuilding your Achilles. What friction massage does is get the collagen fibres in place faster to speed up the remodeling process (3).
3) Foam rolling your calves
Foam rolling helps to stop your calves from pulling on your Achilles, therefore helping to ease some of the pain and allow the healing process to take place.
4) Gentle stretching of your calves
This can release some of the pressure off your Achilles and also increase the range of motion at your ankle. However, if you push a stretch too hard then this can cause inflammation in your Achilles and also pull all your collagen fibres out of line.
Be sure to take your stretches gently and foam roll after stretching to help to muscles retain the newfound flexibility better.
Read this article from 'Mend': Ankle Mobility and Achilles Tendonitis.
5) Rolling out your plantars
A tight plantar can cause a pulling on your Achilles and this can lead to an increased risk of developing Achilles tendonitis.
6) Glute activation/strengthening
When our glutes don’t fire/activate properly it leads to your calves doing more of the work and this puts more strain on your Achilles. Strengthening your glutes and doing activations beforehand will help you use your glutes more and take some strain off your Achilles.
How I solved my Achilles tendonitis permanently (touch wood)
This is how I solved my Achilles tendonitis permanently, so far...
Now down to the exercises I used for fixing my Achilles tendonitis.
In 2021 I was desperate with my running, I was in a particularly bad patch with injuries and this was the second time that year that I had to stop training because of my Achilles.
I did some research and came across the 'Kneesovertoesguy' on YouTube, I had no idea how much my performance was about to improve or how bulletproof my body would become to injuries.
You see a long time ago some research came out which showed that the most vulnerable
position you can put your body into was a position where you have your knees over your toes. What should have happened next was people should have started training in that position to bulletproof their bodies, instead what happened was people just avoided that position entirely.
Now what this program did was get me to train with my knees over my toes, strengthening me in positions that improved my range of motion. It took a while because I was just copying the YouTube videos without a properly structured program. However, I was still seeing a lot of progress in my ability to do the exercises- mainly the ATG split squat.
Eventually, I joined the ATG program and I was doing exercises that improved my mobility and helped strengthen me through the full range of motion of my joints. The program was very well structured and the coaches gave me exercises that came with regressions so I could slowly learn to do the full exercise properly.
Over time I was stronger, less injury prone and I even broke my 10k personal best.
Exercises which I was doing that helped my Achilles tendonitis:
ATG split-squat
Tibialis raises
Sled drag
Full-stretch calf raises
Knees over toes calf raises
ATG squat
If you have struggled with Achilles problems like I have then I do recommend that you join the ATG program. You can get to the root cause of your Achilles issues and can save a lot of money on potential physio appointments.
However, if you don't want to spend money on your treatment then I understand and you can find all of Ben Patrick's videos on YouTube for free!
You may also like: The Most Important Gym Exercise For Runners: Nordic Curls.
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