The Heel Drop is another great exercise to stretch the calf muscles, the Achilles tendon, as well as the fascia under the heel. You can do this where ever you see a set of stairs. And it only takes a couple of minutes. One of my favorites before I head out for a run!
- Look for a set of stairs with railings.
- Hold on to railings for support.
- Place the ball of your left foot on the edge of a step.
- Place entire right foot on the step above for stability.
- Gradually let the heel of your left foot drop, while keeping your leg straight.
- Feel the stretch in the sole of your left foot, Achilles tendon and calf muscles.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Repeat the stretch three to five times for each leg.
- You can even repeat this after a run or a workout.
Demonstrated by Meg Vitter of Boston, MA.
Also read:
Treating Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis;
Heel and Achilles Tendon Stretch;
Toe Extension;
Precautions to take before starting new exercises
See other exercises at Aches & Joints
© Arun Shanbhag 2008
Arun Shanbhag 
Lakshmi:
I commend your determination. After your longer walks, apply ice to your ankles (even if they don’t hurt). That will help to keep the micro-tears down and help your healing process.
Awesome on the walks and keep at it.
:-))
i will be one before you know it. i am planning to take it slow – basically i am walking about 20-30 minutes daily with a plan of doing about 40-60 on weekends – I am looking at one day’s break in between.
i actually din’t consult a doc before deciding on this. that injury happened months ago – basically for the last two months, i am able to walk distances of 4-5 kms without any swelling. so i have concluded that its time i get started.
not sure if there are any local 5k, 10k runs – but i’ll tell you when i achieve this goal.
thanks for the shoe advisor link – i’ll check it out.
Hi Lakshmi:
Congratulations on starting towards your goal of completing a marathon. I think if you have the perseverance, you can do it!
That ankle ligament tear is an unknown; what did the doctor say.
Keep extending the time of your walks, 1 hour and upto 2 hours;
And if you can walk, then you can run. :-))
The running may be terrible, because of the shoes you wear. Make sure you have well fitting and cushioned running shoes.
Also depending on the type of feet, and how it moves, you may need specific shoes. Check this Shoe Advisor which I use.
http://www.brooksrunning.com/Help/Shoe+Advisor/
Also, a great book is :Chi Running, by Danny Dreyer. I used it during my first marathon and loved all the tips on posture and exercises.
And start small. Participate in some of the local 5K, 10K and then progress to a half marathon and then a full marathon!
Easily doable, but take it easy!
And Yaaay!
waiting to call you: A Marathoner!
this week i’ve started working toward my dream of running a marathon 😀 – i have started with walking though.
the one thing is that after my ankle ligament tear – i am kind of scared to run or jump!!!
and the other is that my running is terrible, and i am not talking speed here, its the technique. if you ever need to hear a pair of feet clap thunderously, ask me to run :D. which means i need to learn how to run. lol . any tips, good resources would be immense help.
i realized that i am not really motivated to lose weight, become fit and blah blah. but i am motivated conquer for 42 odd kms or even half of that – 😀 . so my new fitness goal is to run a marathon each year.