You've probably heard the health recommendations to get moving and complete 10,000 steps per day. I started wearing a pedometer last February and was astonished at how sedentary I had become. I was recovering from a bad injury but still thought of myself as the athlete 20 years ago who thought nothing of an 11 mile day hike. Or just 10 years ago a rollerblade before work, and a spinning class after work was routine.
Well, reality hit. Shock! Dismay! I was far, far away from 10,000 steps and sometimes I just wanted to chuck the pedometer and forget about fitness. But not really. So slowly I started working my way up. Last month I was particulary happy with my progress, hitting nearly 300,000 steps. But alas, Achilles Tendonitis put me on the sidelines. Ouch. I never thought I had to stretch out my calves to go for a walk! But oh contraire! When walking for fitness, it is important to take a few precautions that will set you up for success rather than set-backs.
What Can Cause Achilles Tendon Injuries? (from WebMD)
Overuse. (I thought I was working my way up to 10,000 but realized I more than doubled my steps within 30 days)
- Stepping up your level of physical activity too quickly. (Guilty!)
- Not stretching enough before exercise. (Didn't think it was that important for walking!)
- Wearing high heels, which increases the stress on the tendon. (N/A)
- Flat feet, also known as fallen arches or overpronation. In this condition, the impact of a step causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons. (Didn't know this! But I have fallen arches)
- Muscles or tendons in the leg that are too tight (True)
To speed the healing, you can:
- Rest your leg. Avoid putting weight on your leg. You may need crutches. (Not if I can help it!)
- Ice your leg to reduce pain and swelling for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain is gone. (Brrr...am doing this) .
- Elevate your leg on a pillow when you’re sitting or lying down. (Making good use of my ottoman)
-Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. (Motrin)
- Use a heel lift. It will protect your Achilles tendon from further stretching. (I purchased new stablizing sneakers after having a professional evaluate my gait and feet.)
- Practice stretching and strengthening exercises (Definately)
Well, lesson learned. I am on the road to icing, stretching, massages, new stablizing sneakers and sticking my feet in the jaccuzi. I want to get back to the 10,000 steps per day and right now I have Jimmy Buffet's "A Thousand Steps to Nowhere" rummaging around in my brain. I found a good website that has a wealth on info on starting a walking program http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html
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