In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ebonie Rio. She is a senior Clinical Researcher at La Trobe University's Sport & Exercise Medicine Research Centre in Melbourne. With hands-on experience as a physiotherapist for Olympic and Paralympic teams, the Australian Institute of Sport, and the Australian Ballet Company, she bridges elite sports practice with rigorous scientific research. Vikas & Ebonie discussed in detail about tendons, their role in the body, how to strengthen them & how to avoid running related injuries. 

Here are some key takeaways:

• Don't stretch your Achilles when it's sore - Stretching compresses the tendon against the heel bone and can worsen pain. Instead, focus on strengthening exercises like calf raises.
• Tendon pain isn't inflammation - The swelling is actually water buildup from stressed tendon cells, which is why ice and anti-inflammatories don't help. Exercise is the best treatment. 
• Every runner needs calf strength - Do 25 single-leg calf raises from flat ground (not off a step) with good alignment. This protects your Achilles, plantar fascia, and improves running efficiency.
• Flat feet aren't a curse - Foot shape doesn't increase injury risk or limit your running ability. Calf weakness, not flat feet, is the real culprit behind most lower leg pain.
• Space out high-impact sessions - Tendons need time between running sessions to adapt and recover. Three runs spread across the week is better than Friday-Saturday-Sunday back-to-back training.

About Vikas Singh:
Vikas Singh, an MBA from Chicago Booth, worked at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, APGlobale, and Reliance before coming up with the idea of democratizing fitness knowledge and helping beginners get on a fitness journey. Vikas is an avid long-distance runner, building fitpage to help people learn, train, and move better.
For more information on Vikas, or to leave any feedback and requests, you can reach out to him via the channels below:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh101

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