The most common culprit is a calf muscle that’s too short and tight. A regular
stretching program that focuses on your foot, calf, and hamstring muscles
(see Chapter 6) goes a long way toward preventing the problem. Your old
friend ice also can reduce swelling and relieve pain (see the “RICE, RICE
Baby” section for details). If you wear high heels, wean yourself from them
and switch to flats; heels can contribute to Achilles tendonitis by keeping
your calves in a contracted (shortened) position for hours on end.For chronic Achilles inflammation, the remedy that works best is something
many die-hard exercisers don’t want to hear: Stop exercising. Give your
Achilles tendon a few days off to rest and repair. Ice the spot, but don’t do
any stretching or strengthening exercises that put pressure on your heel.
(You can swim, but only if you feel no pain.) If your Achilles problem persists,
see an orthopedist or a podiatrist. You may need more-aggressive remedies.Knee pain ..............................................................................................
On the surface, the knee seems to be a wonderfully uncomplicated mecha-
nism with a pretty simple job description: to bend and straighten your leg. In
reality, knee function is controlled by more muscles, tendons, ligaments, and
cartilage than any other joint in your body. That’s one reason why it’s often
the first joint to break down. The other is that the knees are involved in virtu-
ally every sport or activity, making it the most common joint to suffer injury.Knee pain comes in more varieties than Baskin-Robbins ice cream. It can
be caused by a tear in a ligament, a tendon, a muscle, or a piece of cartilage,
the cushioning that prevents two bones from rubbing against each other. (See
Chapter 12 for additional definitions of these high-tech terms.) We can’t diag-
nose your specific ailment, but we can tell you this: Knee pain is often the
result of doing the same movement over and over again. Typically, you can’t
trace it to a specific incident; it’s more likely the result of one bike-a-thon or
skate-a-thon too many. It’s also affected or caused by a lack of stability and
strength in the hips.Cross training is a good way to avoid knee pain. By varying your exercise
activities — running one day, cycling the next — you use different muscles,
or at least you use the same muscles in different ways. You can still injure
your knees with a cross-training regimen, so be careful not to overdo it. If you
do feel knee pain coming on, cut back on your exercise routine or switch to
an activity that doesn’t aggravate the situation. Or, better yet, contact a quali-
fied personal trainer to ensure that your form and technique are correct —
improper technique is often the cause of joint problems. Some people with
knee problems from running can bicycle with no pain whatsoever, and vice
versa. Ice is always a good choice, too. But don’t mess around here. If pain
persists, recurs frequently, or is caused by a single incident, get thee to a
doctor ASAP.62 Part II: Enjoying Total-Body Health: Eating Well and Staying Injury-Free