Achilles Tendonitis

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friedmsw1
friedmsw1 Posts: 16 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am 52 years old and have been hampered by Achilles Tendonitis for seven months. I have never been an athlete or runner. My orthopedic MD has no answer for me on how this started. My physical therapist said that it could be related to a fractured knee that I had before being diagnosed with Achilles Tendonitis. I have used MFP before in conjunction with weight loss MD to lose 30 lbs. I stopped using MFP and put on five of those pounds. Now, I am back! I am also back on a 1200 calorie a day eating plan with appetite suppressant, MD supervised.

I have not been able to find exercises I can do for weight loss. The exercises I am doing now are physical therapy exercises.

Anyone else having trouble with Achilles Tendonitis? Can anyone provide any advice on exercises that have worked for you?

Thanks!

Replies

  • pukekolive
    pukekolive Posts: 237 Member
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    bump
  • captmiddy
    captmiddy Posts: 147 Member
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    Can you walk for a good period of time? Walking is plenty of exercise to lose weight as long as you do it for a while. I have lost most of the 70+lbs just by walking daily. I walk about 10k steps each day. I don't have tendinitis just bad knees which have kept me from running much. If you balance this with some upper body work you can definitely lose weight. As always it is about calories in versus calories out. As long as you use more than you take in you should lose weight.
  • brraanndi
    brraanndi Posts: 325 Member
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    Just brainstorming here but...

    If you cannot even stand, get some "Sit and Be Fit" videos.

    If you can stand, try anything that says low impact and couldn't you do any of the "upper arm" parts of dvds? Also wouldn't lifting of the upper body help?

    I also see tons of people who just make their own videos like "The Beach Body Mom" that can you probably get some ideas from.

    Edit - 1200 calorie is a nightmare even with an appetite suppressant. It's good that it's doctor supervised but if that suppressant is amphetamine based, it's going to be alot harder for you to pay attention to your body and take note of the aches and pains you should be.
    I don't say this because I'm a doctor giving advice, I'm saying this because I've had it happen myself so PLEASE make sure you don't overdo it and hurt that area.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
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    swimming and biking, water aerobics in chest deep water. Also, weight loss is 80% about diet. You don't have to exercise to lose weight, it just helps it speed it along.
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
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    When my achilles was an issue in the beginning of the year, I changed my exercises. I was able to do push ups, sit ups, bench press, rows .... the list can go on.

    FYI, I took two months off my HIIT exercises and it wasnt better, I finally took the prescribed anti inflammitory (I resist taking medicine) and it felt much better. Running this summer, 3-4 miles every other day, it came back ... worked up to 8 miles for a tough mudder ... it was just weaker.

    I signed up for Pittsburgh Marathon ... I am going to give it a shot, crossing my fingers. Its 80% at best ... but because I commited to the marathon, its going to commit me to pay attention to it, do alll my strengthening exercises, etc. If it aggravates it too much, i will reconsider ... but only after trying. Its the classic "dont be a wuss vs be smart"
  • TwelveSticks
    TwelveSticks Posts: 288 Member
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    I started suffering with this at the beginning of the summer, when I started doing some running (c25k). I did a fair amount of research on what might be causing it and what to do about it. As far as I could see, the issues boiled down to:

    1. Correct footwear - I bought better running shoes.
    2. Inadequate stretching - I now make sure I stretch more before starting.
    3. Hard surfaces - I now try to run on the grass more whenever possible.

    I also massage my Achilles tendon post-exercise and when it was bad, I elevated it above my heart and iced it.

    I'm pleased to say that it is gradually getting better. I no longer need much of the remedial stuff, post-exercise, and my tendon bothers me less and less as the weeks go by.
  • friedmsw1
    friedmsw1 Posts: 16 Member
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    WOW! I did not expect so many responses so quickly. Thanks! Doing a lot of walking ends up being very painful. I can live with some pain-even some 4 out of 10.. Yet, the pain from this gets to be an 8 out of 10. I use ice and anti-inflammatories I feel that I have spent a small fortune on shoes and orthotics. I don't think that I am being a wuss. Just get tired of the pain and slow weight loss. I drink ALOT of water, but am careful not to drink too much. I am keeping check on my blood pressure to make sure the appetite suppressant does not raise it too much. Guess I did not realize that upper body exercises could help me so much with losing weight. I always think in terms of walking and other aerobic exercises. However, I do have some apps with upper body exercises on them. I will have to concentrate on that. Thanks again!
  • Mewcenary
    Mewcenary Posts: 66 Member
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    Let's start with the basics. Is this insertional or non-insertional achilles tendonitis?
  • friedmsw1
    friedmsw1 Posts: 16 Member
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    It is insertional. MD has started talking about surgery. However, my understanding is that the recovery is BRUTAL! I am wanting to lose weight for a number of reasons-one would be avoiding surgery!

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