Yoga guide
No trial has tested yoga for Achilles tendinopathy, often called Achilles tendonitis. What does help is loading the calf: slow calf raises that get gradually heavier, at least 3 times a week, while you keep moving within a pain rule. Holding yoga poses is too light to do that on its own (in older adults, standing poses worked the calf less than walking), so yoga helps most when it builds calf raises in and changes the poses that strain a sore tendon.
This guide covers where it hurts and why that matters (pain higher up the tendon, or where it meets the heel), the 5 out of 10 pain rule, downward dog, lunges and jumping, calf stretches, what the evidence shows, and a free 25-minute class with calf loading built in. If you felt a snap at the back of your heel, or one calf is swollen and throbbing, go straight to the warning signs.
We found no trial of yoga for Achilles tendinopathy in PubMed, Europe PMC or ClinicalTrials.gov. Yoga can be a way to do part of the treatment and to stay active with the tendon in mind; it isn't the treatment.
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The 2024 US guideline's top recommendation is tendon loading exercise, with loads as high as you can tolerate, at least 3 times a week, and it says complete rest isn't the answer. Across 29 trials, exercise improved an Achilles score by about 20 points out of 100 at 3 months against waiting, at low certainty; gains start within 2 weeks and peak around 12.
In one study of 20 older adults holding standing poses, the four heaviest worked the calf at only 32% to 56% of a walking step's peak. So add calf raises (our class builds them in), and build to heavier raises as our Achilles tendinopathy guide sets out.
About a third of cases are insertional: pain where the tendon meets the heel bone. Bending the ankle up squeezes the tendon there, and in a trial of 42 people, a programme that avoided bending the ankle fully up, dropped calf stretching and added heel lifts did better. Our suggestion, untested in yoga: keep your heels level with the floor or higher in downward dog, lunges and squats.
Carrying on running and jumping while watching pain did no harm in a trial of 38 people. Our rule: pain up to 5 out of 10 during exercise, back to its usual level by the next morning, and not creeping up week on week.
Expect at least 12 weeks of calf strengthening. In one 5-year follow-up, 80% had fully recovered with exercise alone, though some people still have symptoms years later.
Pain and stiffness in the Achilles tendon, the cord above the heel, often worst first thing in the morning or after rest. Most people call it Achilles tendonitis; tendinopathy is the preferred name because inflammation isn't assumed. Guidelines split it by where it hurts: midportion pain is more than 2 cm above the heel bone, and insertional pain is within 2 cm of where the tendon joins it.
In Dutch general practice, about 2 in every 1,000 adults aged 21 to 60 see their GP with it each year, and only 35% of cases were linked to sport, so it isn't only a runners' problem. The Dutch guideline notes that inactive people can overload a tendon too. In athletes, a sudden rise in training is the usual story.
In the Yoga Empowers Seniors Study, 20 adults with an average age of 71 held standing poses while their joint loads were measured. Every pose worked the calf, but the four heaviest reached only 32% to 56% of a walking step's peak; a one-legged balance was the heaviest. In 21 postures, including downward dog at a wall, all worked the calf muscles. This is one study, in older adults holding still, so it doesn't tell us about flowing classes or younger people.
In healthy young adults, the load on the Achilles ran from half your body weight in a seated heel raise to more than 7 times it in a hop. Peak tendon stress in a one-leg standing raise was about 13 times that in a seated raise. That range is why calf raises can be built up step by step.
In 10 trained practitioners, sun salutations took the ankle to 40 degrees of upward bend (dorsiflexion). Downward dog with the heels pressed down, deep squats, and a back heel pressed down in warrior I, pyramid or a long lunge all hold the ankle there under body weight. At the insertion, that position squeezes the tendon against the heel bone, more so in people with insertional pain. No study has measured the load on the Achilles in a floor downward dog.
Jump-backs and jump-throughs land on the forefoot, and hops put the most load through the tendon. Step back instead while it's sore.
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Most of this evidence comes from loading programmes, not yoga. Yoga has no trial; the pages it can borrow from are the guidelines and trials below.
Europe PMC found 217 records for yoga with Achilles terms (none a trial), PubMed 2 and ClinicalTrials.gov none. Yoga turns up only as a cause: Achilles tears were among the commonest yoga injuries on scans at one hospital.
The 2024 US guideline gives its top grade to tendon loading exercise, with loads as high as tolerated, as the first treatment; at least 3 times a week (a theory-based recommendation); and it says complete rest isn't indicated. The Dutch guideline advises progressive calf strengthening for at least 12 weeks, a pain scale to guide activity, and, for insertional pain, starting the exercises on a flat surface.
Across 29 trials, exercise improved the 100-point Achilles questionnaire by about 20 points (between 11 and 30) at 3 months, against waiting; 76% of the trials were at high risk of bias, and certainty was low to very low. In pooled studies, improvement started within 2 weeks and peaked around 12, at about 21 points.
Heavy slow calf raises matched eccentric heel drops in 58 people, and more people kept up their sessions (92% against 78%). The Alfredson and Silbernagel programmes matched in 40 people at a year. Reviews of 12 and 21 trials found no loading programme better than another.
In 38 people, carrying on running and jumping while watching pain gave the same improvement at a year as 6 weeks off. Later studies set the limit at about 5 out of 10: one told people pain under 5 out of 10 wasn't harmful, and a trial progressed only when pain stayed under 5 during exercise, an hour afterwards and the next morning. Experts say to check pain the following day.
In a 2025 trial of 42 sport-active adults with insertional pain, a programme that limited bending the ankle up, dropped calf stretching and added heel lifts improved the Achilles score by 12.9 points more at 12 weeks than one done at full ankle bend with daily stretching, and 94.7% against 57.9% were satisfied at 24 weeks. It's one small trial at one centre. Experts rank ankle-bend range as the key setting for insertional pain, and heel drops below a step pleased only 28% to 33% with this type of pain.
The US guideline says calf stretching may be used when the ankle is stiff, a weak recommendation unchanged since 2018; the Dutch guideline doesn't mention it. In 45 people, stretching and eccentric training improved about equally over a year, with no untreated group, and people with pain near the heel improved less.
The Dutch guideline expects a few months of active treatment at least, says 85% of athletes return to sport, and notes that 23% to 37% still have symptoms up to 10 years later. In a 5-year follow-up, 80% had fully recovered with exercise alone.
This site's suggested rule: pain during exercise up to 5 out of 10, back to its usual level by the next morning, and not creeping up week on week. If it is worse the next morning, lighten the load for a few sessions rather than stopping.
Use it for calf raises, standing balances and downward dog alike. Sharp pain at the back of the heel in a pose, rather than a dull ache, means come out of it.
Full range is fine within the pain rule. Experts recommend full-range calf exercises as soon as you can, and calf stretches are optional if your ankle is stiff.
Our suggestion, from one trial of 42 people and not tested in yoga: keep your heels level with the floor or higher. In downward dog, bend your knees and keep your heels lifted, or rest them on a rolled mat; in lunges and warrior poses, shorten the stance or lift the back heel; skip deep squats; never lower your heels below a step; and leave calf stretches out for now. Bring range back gradually once it settles.
Swelling in several joints, or morning stiffness that lasts more than 30 minutes: see a GP. It can be an inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis rather than osteoarthritis.
Pain where tendons attach to bone can also come from psoriatic arthritis; our yoga for psoriatic arthritis guide covers it (our suggestion).
Our editorial steps, from the pain rule and the low-compression trial (Pringels 2025); no study has measured Achilles load in downward dog. With glaucoma or high blood pressure that isn't controlled, keep your head higher with your hands on a wall or a chair.
See the movement on the 3D figure: Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Slow breathing for 1 minute, in for about 4 and out for about 6 (our yoga for plantar fasciitis class). Ankle circles: "5 slow circles each way with each ankle" (the move page's dose).
Isometric calf raise hold: "5 holds of 30 to 45 seconds" (the move page's dose), both feet, at a wall. Seated calf raises: 3 sets of 15; slow calf raises on the floor: 3 sets of 15, 3 seconds up and 3 down; single-leg calf raises: 3 sets of 10 to 15 each leg, on flat ground with insertional pain (our Achilles tendinopathy guide's stages). The eccentric heel drop (3 sets of 15, knee straight and bent, twice a day, as the Alfredson programme and our Achilles guide give it) suits only pain higher up the tendon.
Mountain pose for 5 breaths (our editorial starting point); chair pose, a shallow bend, 2 holds of 3 to 5 breaths; warrior II with a short stance, 3 to 5 breaths each side; tree pose with fingertips on a wall and the lifted foot at your ankle, 2 holds of 20 to 30 seconds each side (our yoga for plantar fasciitis class). One-leg stand: 2 holds of 30 seconds each leg (our yoga for basketball players class); add the one-leg poses once two-leg raises are comfortable (our suggestion).
Wall calf and soleus stretches: 2 to 3 holds of 30 seconds each side, only if your ankle is stiff (our Achilles tendinopathy guide). Downward dog with bent knees, pedalling the heels: 2 holds of 50 seconds (our yoga for runners routine). Leave all three out with pain where the tendon meets the heel, or use the heels-lifted downward dog above.
Low lunge with the front shin upright and the back knee padded, 45 seconds each side; reclined figure four, 45 seconds each side (our yoga for runners routine). Legs up the wall, 2 minutes, skipping it or keeping your hips flat with glaucoma or high blood pressure that isn't controlled; corpse pose, 3 minutes (our yoga for plantar fasciitis class).
Step back rather than jump in sun salutations, and keep hops and skipping for the return-to-sport stage of our Achilles guide. With pain where the tendon meets the heel, skip the deep squat and lift the back heel or shorten the stance in warrior I and pyramid (our suggestion). Shorten long standing series, such as hot yoga's.
3D demoSun salutation A (Surya Namaskar A)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoSun salutation B (Surya Namaskar B)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoDeep squat holdIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoWarrior I (Virabhadrasana I)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoPyramid pose (Parsvottanasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoPogo hopsIntermediate · No equipmentStart with our 25-minute class 3 times a week, with heavier calf raises (the calf workout, or the strengthen stage of our Achilles guide) on other days; that pairing is our editorial suggestion. The runners' class suits pain higher up the tendon; with pain at the heel, keep its downward dog heels-lifted. The springy starter belongs to the return stage, within the pain rule.
A 25-minute yoga class for Achilles tendinopathy: calf holds and slow raises built in, short standing poses, calf stretches only if stiff, and no jumping.
25 minBeginner15 movesA wall, A bench or boxA 25-minute calf workout with a step and a dumbbell: single-leg raises for the big calf muscle, then seated raises for the soleus, with gym swaps for each move.
25 minIntermediate7 movesA wall, A stepA 15-minute barefoot routine for stronger toes, arches, calves and ankles, finishing with balance. You need only a towel, a wall and a resistance band.
15 minBeginner11 movesA wall, Other / check instructionsA 20-minute yoga cool-down for runners: calves, hip flexors, hamstrings and glutes, one balance pose and a rest, after an easy run or on a rest day.
20 minBeginner11 movesA wallA 25-minute yoga routine for your legs: standing holds for the thighs, one-leg poses for the glutes, bridges, calf and shin raises, then hip and hamstring stretches.
25 minBeginner17 movesA step, A wallA beginner's springy session: calf strength first, then heel drops, calf springs and gentle bounces, building towards skipping and pogo hops.
20 minBeginner11 movesA wall, A stepThese are the warning signs from our Achilles, heel and ankle guides, word for word. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
Same day: a sudden snap or pop at the back of the heel or calf, or a feeling of being kicked there, then walking flat-footed and being unable to push off, stand on tiptoe or climb stairs. It could be an Achilles tendon rupture or a broken heel bone. Go to A&E or a minor injuries unit, or contact NHS 111.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both), usually the calf or thigh; swelling in one leg (rarely both); red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area, which may be harder to see on brown or black skin; or swollen veins. This can be a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is more likely after surgery, a hospital stay, 3 or more days in bed, a journey of over 4 hours, pregnancy or a recent birth, cancer, a previous clot, or contraception or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that contains oestrogen.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111: sudden swelling, redness, heat and pain in the calf, which could be a blood clot. Go to A&E: severe pain after an injury, which can mean a broken bone; or you cannot put any weight on the leg.
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Call 999 or go to A&E if breathing suddenly becomes difficult, if pain in your chest or upper back comes on suddenly with breathlessness or a very fast heartbeat, or if someone passes out. Do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
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Same day: the back of the heel is red, hot, swollen and very painful, especially with a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery. It could be an infected bursa or a skin infection.
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Contact your doctor straight away if your Achilles tendon becomes painful or swollen while you're taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic (such as ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin or ofloxacin), or in the months after. The UK medicines regulator (MHRA) advises stopping the antibiotic at the first sign and resting the painful area until you've been seen; the risk is higher over 60, with kidney problems, after an organ transplant and with steroid medicines.
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Call 999 if:
Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) straight away for severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or not able to get words out), a chest that feels tight or heavy, pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw, lips or skin turning very pale, blue or grey, or sudden confusion. If you're more short of breath than usual, or your heart is racing, fluttering or skipping beats, contact NHS 111.
A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a session, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use an easier version, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal. In a hot class, stop if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell; our hot yoga guide lists the signs of heat illness.
Come out of a pose for a sharp pain at the back of the heel rather than a dull ache (our suggestion).
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
Loading is the treatment; stretching is optional for a stiff ankle, and with pain near the heel a programme without calf stretching did better in a trial. Stretching did no better than eccentric training in 45 people.
Complete rest isn't recommended, and carrying on with activity within a pain limit did no harm in a trial.
No trial has tested it, and in older adults, standing poses worked the calf less than walking: too light to count as the loading that helps. Yoga can carry calf raises and keep you moving.
With pain near the heel, it holds the ankle in the position that squeezes the tendon; higher up, it's an optional calf stretch, not a treatment.
Heavy slow calf raises and other loading programmes did as well, and reviews of 12 and 21 trials found no type better.
It can help as part of the plan, but no trial has tested it. What helps most is calf loading: slow calf raises that get gradually heavier, at least 3 times a week. Our class builds those in and changes the poses that strain the tendon.
Usually, yes. Keep pain during practice at or below about 5 out of 10, settled by the next morning, step back rather than jump, and keep standing holds short. Complete rest isn't recommended.
It depends where it hurts. Higher up the tendon, downward dog with bent knees is an optional calf stretch. Where the tendon meets the heel, keep your heels lifted or skip it for now, because bending the ankle up squeezes the tendon there.
While it's sore, avoid jump-backs and hops, deep squats with your heels down, and long holds with the back heel pressed down in warrior I, pyramid or deep lunges. With pain at the heel, never lower your heel below a step.
Keep your heels level with the floor or higher: calf raises on the floor, downward dog with your heels lifted, short stances and no calf stretching for now. That's our suggestion from one trial of 42 people, in which a programme built that way did better; it hasn't been tested in yoga.
Only if your ankle is stiff and the pain is higher up the tendon; stretching is optional, not the treatment. With pain where the tendon meets the heel, leave calf stretches out for now.
Not on its own. In a study of older adults, standing poses worked the calf less than walking. Add calf raises, building from both feet to one and then to added weight, as our Achilles guide sets out.
Any sudden rise in load can bring it on, and Achilles tears appear among yoga injuries on scans, but no study shows yoga is a common cause. Build up jumping flows and long standing series gradually.
Months. Improvement usually starts within 2 weeks of calf loading and peaks around 12, and guidelines advise at least 12 weeks of strengthening. Most people recover, though some still have symptoms years later.
Only as your fracture clinic or physiotherapist allows. Our Achilles rupture guide says no strong calf stretches and no heel drops off a step in the first weeks out of the boot, so leave out downward dog with your heels down, deep lunges and squats until your team clears them.
Toe yoga trains the small muscles of the foot, but it hasn't been tested for Achilles pain. Calf raises are what the evidence supports; our yoga for feet guide covers toe yoga.
The same day for a snap at the back of the heel, one swollen, throbbing calf, or a hot, swollen heel, and straight away if your Achilles hurts while you're taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. See a GP or physiotherapist if it hasn't improved within 12 weeks.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
