The Fitness Pilates Blog

Achilles Tendon Pain Fitness Pilates News

Good morning Team

Hi everyone,

I hope you’re having a great week.

Have you had a chance to listen to the brand-new Heat Wave album on the Pure Energy Music app yet? It’s absolutely fantastic! I’ve been using it this week for both my Reformer and Fitness Pilates classes, and the music is perfect for creating a calm yet energising atmosphere.

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Fitness Pilates Summit – 10th Anniversary

We’ve now officially launched the timetable for the Fitness Pilates X Summit on Saturday 19th September, and I’m so excited to share this year’s programme with you.

As we’re celebrating our 10th Anniversary, we’ve created what I believe is our strongest line-up ever, packed with brand-new masterclasses, creative programming, business inspiration and practical ideas you can take straight back to your own classes.

You can view the full timetable and booking details below—I would absolutely love to see you there.

Teaching Focus This Week

This week’s education article focuses on a condition many instructors and class participants experience—Achilles tendon pain.

Please feel free to share or adapt this information for your own classes, newsletters or social media.

Achilles Tendon Pain – What Causes It and What Can You Do?

Achilles tendon pain is one of the most common lower-limb injuries, particularly in walkers, runners and active adults. It often begins as mild stiffness first thing in the morning before gradually becoming more painful if ignored.

What is the Achilles tendon?

The Achilles tendon is the strong band of tissue connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone. Every step, squat, heel raise and jump relies on this tendon transferring force efficiently from the calf into the foot.

Why does it become painful?

The most common cause is overload—the tendon is simply being asked to do more than it can currently tolerate.

This can happen if you:

Suddenly increase your walking or running.
Start a new exercise programme.
Return to exercise after time off.
Wear unsupportive footwear.
Have tight calf muscles or reduced ankle mobility.
Spend long periods walking or standing on hard surfaces.

As we age, tendons naturally become less elastic and recover more slowly. Following menopause, hormonal changes may also influence tendon health, making women more susceptible to Achilles problems.

Common symptoms

You may notice:

Pain or stiffness at the back of the heel.
Morning stiffness when you first get out of bed.
Symptoms easing once you’ve been moving for a while.
Pain after longer walks or exercise.
Tenderness when pressing the tendon.
Mild swelling or thickening around the tendon.

What should you do?

The good news is that most Achilles tendon problems improve with appropriate management.

Keep moving but reduce activities that significantly aggravate the pain.

Gradually strengthen the calf muscles. Research consistently shows progressive strengthening is one of the most effective treatments for Achilles tendinopathy.

Wear supportive footwear for walking and exercise.

Increase activity levels gradually rather than doing too much too soon.

Don’t ignore pain that persists for several weeks or suddenly becomes severe.

Can Fitness Pilates Help?

Absolutely.

Fitness Pilates is an excellent way to maintain strength, mobility and fitness while reducing excessive impact through the tendon.

Exercises focusing on:

Balance
Core stability
Hip and glute strength
Foot and ankle mobility
Controlled calf strengthening

can improve movement quality and reduce unnecessary strain on the Achilles tendon.

Fitness Pilates exercises that can help

Foot and ankle mobility

These can help improve ankle movement and reduce stiffness.

Ankle circles
Point and flex
Toe spreads
Heel-toe rocking
Foot articulation
Controlled ankle mobility

Calf strengthening

Progressive strengthening is considered one of the most effective treatments for Achilles tendinopathy.

Try:

Double-leg heel raises
Single-leg heel raises (when tolerated)
Bent-knee heel raises (targets the soleus muscle)
Slow eccentric heel lowers
Standing calf pulses

Progress gradually and avoid pushing through significant pain.

Balance exercises

Improving balance helps the lower leg muscles work more efficiently.

Single-leg balance
Tandem stance
Clock reaches
Standing leg lifts
Tree pose variations
Toe taps

Hip and glute strengthening

Weak hips can increase the load placed on the Achilles.

Include:

Bridge variations
Clams
Side-lying leg lifts
Standing hip abduction
Squats (within comfort)
Sit-to-stand

Core stability

A strong core improves whole-body movement and reduces unnecessary strain further down the kinetic chain.

Exercises include:

Dead Bug
Four-point kneeling
Bird Dog
Toe taps
Modified plank
Side plank (as tolerated)

Should you use a resistance band?

Yes.

Resistance bands are excellent for:

Plantarflexion (pointing the foot)
Dorsiflexion (lifting the foot)
Inversion
Eversion

They strengthen all the muscles around the ankle and improve stability.

Bands can also be used around the thighs during bridges, squats and standing exercises to increase glute activation, which can indirectly reduce stress on the Achilles tendon.

What about a spiky massage ball?

Yes—but with some caveats.

A spiky ball won’t repair the tendon itself, but it can help with:

Tight calf muscles

Foot muscles

Plantar fascia

Improving circulation

Relaxation before mobility work

It’s best used:

Under the sole of the foot.
On the calf muscles (avoiding direct pressure on the painful part of the tendon).
Before mobility exercises or after activity.

Avoid pressing directly on a very sore or swollen Achilles tendon.

Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter and i hope you enjoyed it.

I really hope to see many of you at our 10th Anniversary Fitness Pilates Summit this September.

Have a fantastic week.

Rachel

I love to hear from you 07976 268672

Rachel Holmes

Have questions about Level 4 – whats app me 07976 268672

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