Cardio with Achilles Insertion Tendinitis

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drewdeabenderfer2009
drewdeabenderfer2009 Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I just started feeling better after months of pain, (and rapid weight gain lol) and need to get back into the gym. I need to start doing cardio again, and my regular go-to was power walking on the treadmill at 15% grade for an hour at a time. Pretty sure that's how I injured myself in the first place lol. I know full well I can't do that quite yet, if at all. So now I'm trying to figure out what to do instead. I have tried the elliptical machines and they destroy my thighs before I can get in a good workout and then I am partially crippled for the next 2 days from the pain. Same kind of thing with the stationary bike. Any suggestions other than that? Was thinking maybe a stair climber but idk how rough that will be on my ankle/heel. Open to any suggestions.

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  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    Indoor rower. My trainer had me use this machine even when my achilles was highly inflammed. If it is only one foot, then you could even rest the injured foot on a box, completely eliminating it from the movement.

    Swimming is also great, as is aqua jogging.
  • dixiech1ck
    dixiech1ck Posts: 769 Member
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    @drewdeabenderfer2009 - I'm totally feeling you. I was in a car accident in 2017 which stopped my running full tilt. Was working back to it when I was diagnosed with chronic lyme disease and found out the bacteria was eating my achillies tendon causing achillies tendonosis. A lot of inflammation on the sides of my ankle when I walk, go up steps, get out of bed. Make sure anything you undertake you do achillies stretches beforehand. It'll help warm up the muscles and use ice after working out. I agree with above - if you can get in a pool, aqua jogging is great and less pain.
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
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    Yep. I tore my Achilles tendon 4 years ago overdoing it on a treadmill w/ 12 % incline for 1+ hrs/day, and now I have Achilles tendinosis and a foot doctor who told me to *never* use incline again, not even 1 %, or I might get a full rupture.

    It's really been a struggle to find exercises that work. Swimming, obviously, is the "school solution" for people with bad ankles, since it doesn't put any strain on the Achilles, but at least for me it's highly inconvenient to get to a pool.

    I eventually got a recumbent bike and that solved the problem. For reasons I can't fully explain, it puts zero strain on my ankles whereas an upright bike causes inflammation. So that's what I do - 45 minutes ish a day on my recumbent - works great. Suggest you try on at the gym and see if it works for you.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Ditto to a recumbant bike, or regular bike actually can work (once healed) - as long as the feet are on the pedals right.

    You have to have the pedal wayyyyy back by the heel - maybe not directly under, but might close.
    Might have to take straps off on gym bike to do that, don't attempt the back side if it's just the rounded axle cover.

    This can cause some mechanical problems usually taken care of with ankle flexibility which you can't have.

    You'll need flex to the knee without the hips rocking.

    Normally proper seat height/extension is heel on the pedal with knee straight at furthest reach, causes the correct flex in knee when forefoot is properly on the pedal.

    You might do that to see what that flexed knee looks like properly done. The duplicate it with heel on pedal.

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