Stretching and muscle-strengthening exercises

Point your feet straight forwards. Keep your back leg straight and your front leg slightly bent. Hold this position for 10 seconds (A). Next, bend your back leg slightly and hold this position for 10 seconds (B). Do the same with your other leg and repeat the exercise 10 times per leg.

Place the ball of your foot on the edge of the bottom step. Keep your toes pointing straight ahead. Keep your knees straight and slowly lower your heels. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly stand back up on your toes (C). Repeat this exercise twice a day in sets of 3 times 15.

You can also make the exercise more challenging. For example, you can do the exercise with both feet at the same time. You can also stand on one leg, which makes the exercise more difficult. You may feel tension in your calf and Achilles tendon, but you should not experience severe pain.

Stand on one leg. Try to remain steady and balanced on that leg. Try to hold the one-legged stance for thirty seconds (D). Repeat this exercise three times on each leg. You can make the exercise more challenging by bending the knee of the leg you are standing on. Then stand up straight again. Try to keep your knee directly above your foot.

Tendons often have reduced blood flow. This does not usually cause any problems. However, if you do experience symptoms as a result, it may help to improve blood flow in the tendon. To improve blood flow in a tendon, you can massage your foot. You can do this with your hand (E), or, for example, by placing a tennis ball or a small bottle on the floor and rolling your foot over it (F).