Slowly. Don't even think of it for 4-6 weeks. If you're crutching it, just be patient and keep the weight off. Do your prescribed PT or home exercises, nothing more.

I tore an Achilles tendon when I was 17 and very physically active. A cast prevented me from doing anything too stupid. I didn't have ready access to ice, anti-inflammatory medications, or a pool for water therapy. So I had to rely on rest, elevation, and most of all PATIENCE.

By completely resting it and letting it heal, I didn't re-injure it. Ended up with some nerve damage in my arms/hands from running every day on crutches, but that's another story.

After the cast was removed and restrictions were lifted, I started with walking warmups and very gentle stretches. Nothing that would stress anything at all.

There was definitely some muscle atrophy, and my restricted foot was easily 1/2 size larger than the regular foot. I had several flights of stairs to navigate every day, and couldn't rely on the hand rail. So I learned to plant flat-footed and push with my quads (like a hack squat) instead of stressing the calf and Achilles tendon. There was some use of that area (unavoidable). Gradually, I would push less with the quads and put more stress on the calf muscle.

Within one week I was back to light jogging. I even had to run a mandatory1.5 mile timed test, and finished in 9 flat. Not a great time for a runner, but considering I just got off crutches, I was happy.

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