The Achilles tendon is a piece of tissue that binds your calf muscles to your heel bone. While Achilles tendonitis and a ruptured Achilles heel are common sports and athletic injuries, Achilles heel exercises are designed to strengthen your tendon, helping you avoid injuries and rehabilitate from severe ones. According to MayoClinic.com, most Achilles injuries stem from jumping and intense exercises that overwork the tendon.
Weighted Heel Raises
This Achilles heel exercise will strengthen your Achilles tendon as well as your shoulder muscles. Start by stepping onto a calf raise machine, placing your shoulders securely under the shoulder pads. With your heels hanging off the back of the raised platform, push up on the shoulder pads to release the weight. Bring your heels down until you feel an intense stretch. Hold this stretch for several seconds before pushing up against the weight, using your shoulders and heel muscles. Perform four sets of 10 before resting.
Heel Spur Exercise
This heel spur exercise will stretch your Achilles heel as well your plantar fascia. Start with your arms extended out against a wall with your right leg in front of your left leg. With your left knee straight and right knee slightly bent, put your feet directly in front of each other, creating a straight line towards the wall. From here, lean down, bending your legs while keeping your back straight. Hold this stretch for a count of 15, descending lower and lower throughout the stretch. Repeat until fatigued.
Resistance Band Achilles Exercise
This exercise is designed to strengthen your Achilles Heel as well as stretch out the tendon itself. Sit down on the ground with one leg extended out and your other leg bent in for support. Wrap a resistance band around your foot, making sure it goes directly around your heel. Tie the other end of the band to a stable surface and move backwards until there is tension on the band. From this position, rotate your ankle in a clockwise motion, stretching out all of the tendons and ligaments in your heel and ankle. Rotate the ankle 10 times before reversing its rotation.
Achilles Squat Exercise
This exercise will strengthen your Achilles heel as well as your glutes and quadriceps. Walk over to a barbell machine and place your shoulders under the bar. Squat down to a position where your knees are bent at 45-degree angles. While in this position, place both of your hands on the bar, keeping an even and consistent grip throughout the exercise. From this position, push up on the bar, following through with your leg muscles and ankle muscles. Push up until your legs are fully extended and slowly come back down to your original position. Repeat for three sets of 10.
