Heel raises are boring! But we still need to do them. They’re essential exercises for strengthening the Achilles tendon. But most people think that doing 3 sets of 10 heel raises will do the trick. It won’t. So, I’m going to show you a fun way to challenge your Achilles tendon…because who doesn’t love a good challenge? Challenge = fun! So, here’s what you do... Find a ball that’s the size of a tennis or lacrosse ball. In the video above, I used a similarly sized massage ball. Place it between your ankles and SQUEEZE. Don’t let go of the ball! Then, perform 3 sets of 15-25 reps of heel raises, with 2 minute rest between sets. When you go down, make sure you go slow. I recommend 2 seconds up, and 3 seconds down. What this technique does is align the Achilles tendon. The tendon is at its strongest when its fibers are perfectly parallel. Using a ball to bring your feet together and creating this line of pull will encourage the tendon to heal. It'll also challenge the neighboring muscles. For example, the tibialis posterior must provide stability, and the plantaris muscle is thought to play a role in Achilles pain. Give it a try today, and let me know what you think! 🙂 Your friend and coach, Grady