It was a day I am not likely to forget, preforming lunges with weights as I normally did when all of the sudden I heard this pop sound come from my leg. At first of course, I thought nothing of it, that was until I couldn’t walk and my foot began to swell. I went to the doctor the next day and got the diagnosis I had feared, a partial tear in my Achilles tendon. From that point it was either surgery to repair the tear or careful rehab, which I choose but later had to complete at home as my insurance would only cover so much. Through this experience I have discovered a few at home exercises that could put you on the fast track to recovery.
One thing that really helped me with my at home rehab was doing what are called foot pulls with a resistance band. Foot pulls are done by you sitting and bending to reach your foot and then pulling it toward you with the help of the resistance band. After having back pain from this method I came up with a new way of doing it that saves your back from unnecessary pain and allows you to continue the exercise for extended periods of time.
Steps for a foot pull
*Sit on a flat surface with your legs out in front of you as far as they can go.
*Place your feet close together so you can use the resistance band on both at one.
*Take the resistance band and place it underneath the heel of your foot in the grove of the sole of your shoe or foot to get a good grip. (It’s best to use shoe’s hear as they provide more resistance)
*Wrap the resistance band around your hands until all slack in the band is gone.
*Pull the band toward you, letting your shoulders pass your back until your feet are pulled toward you and you feel a slight tension.
*Hold for thirty seconds and then repeat the process ten to fifteen times, repeating the exercise throughout the day.
Climb the hill
This is an exercise I like to call climb the hill, because of the filling of climbing a hill that it gives you. I came up with this exercise after modifying the motion of the stair stepping exercise that the rehab specialist had advised me to do so that I could work the entire leg and the Achilles tendon at the same time.
Steps:
*Bend your knees at around a forty five degree angle similar to a runner’s stance just after leaving the starting block.
*Stand on your toes so that your heel is slightly off the floor.
*Begin pumping your legs, being sure to remain on your toes for a duration of three minutes at a time taking proper rest in between.
Toe Stands
Similar to what you probably used to do in high school gym class, this exercise is designed to put weight on the Achilles to strengthen it without having too much weight bearing down on it. This allows the Achilles to heal properly and effectively.
Steps:
*Stand up as straight as possible to ensure good proper alignment.
*Raise your heels of your feet into the air and place your weight on your toes until you are standing on them.
*Hold for thirty seconds and then release, repeating the process twenty times while resting properly throughout.
Be sure after performing all the above exercises that you apply ice and rest your Achilles properly. Typically you should leave ice on for five minutes and then fifteen minutes off. Seek your doctors advice before performing any of these exercises to ensure that you are performing them properly and getting proper rest in between.
Note: These exercises were created through my own personal experience while going through the rehab process. The exercises were performed through medical advice from doctors and rehab specialist who assisted in my recovery process.
