Your Achilles tendon

Press, 28 August 1986, Page 17

Your Achilles tendon

By

JUDI SHEPPARD MISSETT

As fitness continues to grow in popularity, more and more people are putting their bodies through the paces of aerobic exercise.

This flood of exercise converts has brought with it a new focus on the hopping, jumping, • stress and pounding our legs often take during aerobic exercise — heavy impacts and pressure which can lead to Achilles tendon injuries.

Fortunately, this attention has brought with it new advice on how to avoid these types of injuries. Part of that prevention comes from knowing what the Achilles tendon is, and what it does. The Achilles tendon is the thickest, strongest tendon in our body. It connects the muscles in our lower legs and our feet. Through it, our calf muscles transmit force to our feet. When we are in motion, it can absorb a pull of two to three times our body weight. But trouble may be in store if you experience the following: A burning sensation along the back of your leg directly above your heel, any tenderness in the Achilles’ tendon area, stiffness in the morning or pain when you flex your foot.

What causes this damage? Most often, it is a lack of flexibility in the tendon and the adjoining

calf muscles, but shoes, surfaces and fatigue also contribute to injuries. Give your body time to rest between workouts. Your tendons and muscles will recover and have more energy to support your movement. Other preventive

measures include proper shoes and surfaces for your chosen activity. Runners should look for shoes with adequate cushioning and heel support. If your movements pull your Achilles tendon off centre, your shoes should counteract this motion. Severe cases may require a medically prescribed orthotic device which adjusts the position of your foot Surfaces are an important consideration • for dance exercisers. If you are not working out on a sprung, hardwood floor, consider investing in a good pair of aerobic shoes. And, remember to press your heels to the floor during every movement. Exercising continu-

ously on your toes shortens the calf muscles and leaves your tendon alone to bear the shock.

Achilles tendon injuries caused by a lack of flexibility give us yet another

reason to warm up completely before we start any form of vigorous exercise!

If you are not in a dance exercise class which includes warm-up stretches, try these simple stretches on your owp. Lean against a wail and support yourself with straight arms. Place your feet a few feet away from the wall, keeping your heels flat on the floor, your legs straight and your knees relaxed, uena your elbows and lower yourself comfortably toward the wall until you feel a gentle stretch along your Achilles tendon and calf muscles. Make sure your heels remain on the floor. You. may want to find a set of stairs instead, where you can place your toes on a step and let your heels hang over the edge. Supporting yourself by holding a handrail or banister, lower your heels slowly. Feel that stretch? Repeat this several times for the maximum benefit Take these precautions and your Achilles tendon need not become your Achilles heel! Copyright Jazserclse.