01/12/2025
There’s no one size fits all answer to this question because everyone’s pre injury capacity, genetics, & overall physique are different, but here’s your reminder that building tendon and ligament strength, endurance and power takes time - especially after an injury ! The timeline also looks different for everyone & can be unique for different parts of the lower limbs, hence why booking in to see your podiatrist for a musculoskeletal assessment for tailored advice is important! 🏋️♀️
What we recommend is gradual progressive loading, targeted rehab and consistency which your podiatrist & a multidisciplinary team can offer!
The actual process of muscle & tendon adaptation is complex & without getting into the specifics, the general timeline is:
Within 4–6 weeks you’ll have noticeable improvements & may be cleared for sports depending on the injury severity ✅
By 3–6 months, your tendons have adapted to increased load performing with more power, speed and endurance and ideally pre-injury status ✅
By 6+ months, you’ve likely experienced some plateauing in building muscle size but have built up solid resilience, power and endurance and reduced your likelihood of new or re- injury ✅
Stay consistent, trust the process and don’t forget to progressively overload those weight-bearing structures & mix up the type of exercise!
If you have any questions or concerns about your feet or lower limbs, book in to see your local podiatrist for tailored advice. ☎️
Sources: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4637912/ , https://hylonome-publications.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com/jmni/published/19/06ZERNICKE.pdf, https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2012/02000/muscle_morphological_and_strength_adaptations_to.11.aspx , https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4196938/, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2290007/