Runners, are you sick of always feeling that stabbing, burning sensation running up and down your achilles cord? Do the words “achilles tear” send cold shivers up your spine???
Then get excited because I’m going to show you a quick way to start eliminating that achilles discomfort so you can enjoy your runs without fear!
WHAT CAUSES ACHILLES PAIN
Achilles pain typically stems from two things:
Lack of strength in the tissue of the achilles and the surrounding areas
Poor mobility in the ankle
As you can imagine, if that area is already weak and we go to hit the ground running, the forces are too much for the tissues to handle, which inevitably leads to pain, tightness or injury in the achilles.
Keep in mind that when running, it's your body weight times gravity landing into the ground and absorbing that force, PLUS, exploding off of the ground…and then repeat a million times. Phew!
WHY STRETCHING WON’T HELP
Typically, when someone starts to feel pain, discomfort, or tightness in their achilles tendon, they immediately start to stretch it to death but this is not helpful. It’s kind of like a necklace with a giant knot in the chain. If you pull the ends of the necklace, that knot will only get worse.
HOW TO RELIEVE ACHILLES PAIN & DISCOMFORT
So what do you do about this pain? Stopping running is NOT an option.
The answer is to start strengthening that angry achilles tissue with isometrics. Isometrics are a type of muscular contraction where the muscle and joints don’t actually move, but force is still produced. The beauty of these is that they don’t cause inflammation like a typical contraction which is key if you want to strengthen injured tissue without making it worse.
Hit “play” on the video above and let’s get to it!
BULLETPROOF THE REST OF YOUR BODY
Get 3 of my favorite mobility exercises to bulletproof your body. They’re perfect for runners so just click the link below and you can get them for free. Once you try them, you’ll see why they’re my all-time favorite.
ABOUT COACH MATT PIPPIN
Matt is a Strength and Mobility Coach with over 15 years experience in his field. He's coached over a thousand professional, collegiate and everyday athletes with the goal to help them move, feel and perform at their highest level. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Certifications:
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Level 3: Fascial Stretch Specialist
Level 1: Institute of Motion Health Coach
Certified FRC Mobility Specialist (FRCms)
Level 1 Kinstretch Instructor
Weck Method Qualified