Now it's time to add some intensity to the range of motion exercises. The aim here
gradually re-introduces some strength back into the injured muscles, ligaments and
tendons through a series of stretches.
When attempting to increase the strength of your Achilles, be sure to approach this
in a gradual, systematic way of lightly over-loading the muscles and tendons. Be
careful not to over-do this type of training. Patience is always a requirement for
any stretching routine.
An effective and relatively safe way to start is to begin with
isometric
exercises. These are exercise where the ankle joint itself does not move, yet force
is applied and the calf muscles and contracts Achilles.
For example, imagine sitting in a chair while facing a wall and then placing the
ball of your foot against the wall. In this position, you push against the wall
with your foot and at the same time keep your ankle joint from moving. The muscles
contract but the ankle joint does not move. This is an isometric exercise.
The above example strengthens the Achilles and ankle joint in all directions. Pushing
your foot to the left or right against something immoveable, and pushing down (as
above) and pulling up.
It's also important at this stage to introduce some gentle stretching exercise.
These will help to further increase your range of motion and prepare your Achilles
for more strenuous activity to come. While working on increasing the flexibility
of your Achilles, it's also important to increase the flexibility of the muscle
groups around the injured area. These include the calf muscles, and the anterior
muscles of your shin.
Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance,
preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don't
make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won't be effective.