Do flippers cause achilles pain?

Welcome to swimming:applaud: I'm also a runner and started swimming for crosstraining several days a week. Now i'm hooked cause after running for 20 years, my times aren't coming down. But with a new sport, there is always room for improvement. I think fins can cause some achilles pain because runners have extremely inflexible ankles. Fins can help help improve flexibility but it needs to be done in small doses and in fins designed for inflexible feet. Others on the board will know alot more about fins than i do. I just know zoomers come in two varieties, blue ones and red ones. the blue ones are supposed to be for people with less flexible ankles. i think that the best thing to do is to not do a ton of yardage in them and work up to increasing yardage in them. after being addicted to my fins for every kick set since i first joined masters(cause my kicking is worse than pathetic), i have been reading the thread about how to improve a slow flutter kick and i'm trying to wean myself off of fins. I've been doing sets of 25's kicking without fins. It's hard, but an uexpected benefit is that my hip flexors are getting stronger and i think it's improving my running stride. A great use of fins is when you want a good ab workout. Doing dolphin kick on your back and stomach for a few hundred yards and you will feel the burn! The other thing i like them for is doing 50s all out. It's a great anaerobic workout. But, other than that, i would cut back on the fins and just stick with kicking flutter kick without them no matter how slow you feel. Apparently bill rodgers would kick in the pool with a board when he had any inkling of achilles pain. he thought that this help loosen it up.

I used to run quite a bit too. Never any achilles pain, but problems with loose ankles. I use fins a lot in the pool and have never had any achilles pain whatsoever. Sounds like your fins may be too small. Or maybe it's the inflexible ankles ... As Slowswim said, try not to kick with fins. If you kick with fins frequently, you are apt to have more feet/ankle problems. And zoomers are not for kicking; they're for swimming.

I had the same problem, and it was caused by wearing fins that were too small. I wouldn't use fins for a while, then go up a size when you start up again.

And zoomers are not for kicking; they're for swimming. Well... yes, but would you allow that they work pretty well for some kicking. Short fins feel better to me than full fins for SDK especially.

Sounds to me like plantar fasciitis. One sure sign is severe heel pain when you first get out of bed in the morning that improves when you move around a little. You could look up the causes and cures on the Internet but mostly it's from tight calve muscles and inflamation of soft tissue. You could go see a podiatrist and get fitted for orthotics and they may help. However, what worked from me was *no running*. Hard to do, I know, as a fellow long-time runner. After a week or two try running again and if it hurts-- stop right away. Give it more time. Try again. No pain = ok to run. Make it a point to stretch your calve muscles all the time but not when they are cold--wait until they warm up. Fins might be good for improving ankle flexibility but they keep your calves in a shortened--not stretched position. Give the fins a rest for awhile--at least until your pain goes away. --mjm If indeed the problem is plantar fasciitis, there are many possible solutions. Personally, I've been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis (quite severe), from a combination of running and marching while in the Army (I'm sure what I wore on my feet had to do with the activities). I've survived quite will with this, over the past 15+ years. At any rate, the advice to stop running is contrary to what I was told by my podiatrist last year. They gave me charts with some great stretches, and eventually gave me a brace that I wear when I'm sitting down to watch TV (supposed to wear 4 hrs/day, but I think I avg 1-2 hrs/day). The brace helped me quite a bit, and I've upped my running frequency + distance substiantially as a result. Putting tape around your foot, icing, and most importantly stretching can all help. For swimming, I do own a pair of zoomers. I wear them maybe once every 2 weeks, at most (I can't even remember when I've worn them last). Since I've seen Ande's threads here on kicking, I've tried (fairly successfully) to wean myself off of any fins. When I did wear fins more regularly, I'd sometimes get cramps and/or blisters. When you have some time, you may want to explore some of Ande's threads for more info.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm pretty sure that I don't have the dreaded plantar facsiatis because the pain is in the back of my heel, not under it. I think I'll just try and swim without the fins for a week and take a few days off running (and get fat) and see what happens!

Sounds to me like plantar fasciitis. One sure sign is severe heel pain when you first get out of bed in the morning that improves when you move around a little. You could look up the causes and cures on the Internet but mostly it's from tight calve muscles and inflamation of soft tissue. You could go see a podiatrist and get fitted for orthotics and they may help. However, what worked from me was *no running*. Hard to do, I know, as a fellow long-time runner. After a week or two try running again and if it hurts-- stop right away. Give it more time. Try again. No pain = ok to run. Make it a point to stretch your calve muscles all the time but not when they are cold--wait until they warm up. Fins might be good for improving ankle flexibility but they keep your calves in a shortened--not stretched position. Give the fins a rest for awhile--at least until your pain goes away. --mjm

Have any of you gotten plantar after upping your swim yardarge? I kind of think i've got a mild case from pushing off of the wall.

I don't know for sure if you have plantar fasciitis or not but my PF pain was in the *back* of the heel--not under it. I tried to "cure" it and still run and tried to "cure" it without running. Guess which way healed faster? You might check out this website for tips on running so that you land on your forefoot instead of your heel to limit or prevent damage to your foot, knees, hip. www.newtonrunning.com/run_better.php. The shoes themselves are a little beyond my budget. I suppose it is possible to get PF by pushing off the wall. I would try not pushing off so hard. Works for me when my calves spasm after a few too many hard wall push offs. --mjm

Hi Cheryl, Extremely skinny people or those with a specific gravity such that they are "sinkers" will tend to sink legs, but that seems uncommon. Getting the balance right - the "vessel" - should help you, and an occasional flutter kick - it's almost an unconscious movement - keeps the legs from sinking, and keeps you in a straight line. I would ask Coach to go back to very basics, position in water. Sometimes holding a kickboard in front, arms extended, helps new swimmers/nonswimmers find a balanced, easy position in the water. TI drills are good, IMO: do over and over. Achy pain in heels: try gentle stretches, in warm bath or if standing waiting for a bus, balance forward foot on edge of curb and stretch back of foot. On flat ground, elevate toes and forward foot. Maybe add an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. Good luck! VB