16/10/2025
Achilles Rehab - 4 Things You Must Do to Return to Sport
Rehab isn’t just about doing calf raises - it’s about rebuilding strength, control, and elasticity through every stage of recovery.
Here’s what needs to be in your plan 👇
1️⃣ Heavy Isometric Holds (Toe Press on Leg Press)
Short, heavy holds (3–5 seconds) help reduce pain by desensitising the tendon and building early load tolerance. They safely activate the calf complex while the tendon heals, preparing it for heavier work.
2️⃣ Heavy Slow Eccentrics (Smith Machine Calf Lowering)
Controlling the lowering phase builds true tendon strength and stiffness - essential for absorbing high forces during running, jumping, or pushing off. Eccentrics realign tendon fibres and improve load capacity.
3️⃣ Co-Contractions (Soleus Slouch)
These train your calf and ankle muscles, hamstrings and glutes to fire together under controlled tension. This improves joint stability and control during deceleration, balance, and direction changes - the bridge between strength and dynamic work.
4️⃣ Plyometrics
Explosive jumping, hopping, and skipping reintroduce the fast, elastic qualities your tendon needs for sport. This is where strength turns into performance - reactive power, stiffness, and resilience.
⚠️ It’s important to get an assessment with a physiotherapist to ensure the right exercises and progressions are prescribed - not every exercise shown here will suit every stage of recovery.
At Physio Athletic, we use VALD technology to objectively measure strength and guide your rehab progressions safely and effectively.
👉 If you’re recovering from an Achilles injury and want a structured, data-driven plan to get back performing pain-free, book an assessment via the link in bio.
