Read our, Medically reviewed by Erin Pereira, PT, DPT, Medically reviewed by Richard Fogoros, MD, The Only 9 Stretches You Need to Relieve Tension in Your Neck, The Towel Calf Stretch to Gain Flexibility in Your Achilles Tendon, Stretching Exercises for Tight Leg Muscles, Enhance Your Flexibility With This Total Body Stretch for Seniors, 3 Easy Thigh Stretches for Your Exercise Program, Lower Extremity Stretches to Maximize Your Flexibility, Aid Your ACL Injury Recovery and Treatment With These Simple Stretches, Easy Stretches You Can Do With a Towel or Stretching Strap at Home, Cyclists Can Keep Limber With Different Types of Stretches, Try These Important Stretches for Your Lower Body, Warm up Your Ankles With Stretches to Prevent Injuries From Sports, How to Safely Stretch Your Achilles Tendon. Start in a high plank with your hands directly under your shoulders. Bend your back knee and keep your front knee straight as you fold forward and grab onto your front foot underneath your toes. Of course, be sure to see your doctor before starting this—or any other—home exercise program. 2014;33(4):198-204: quiz 205-6. doi:10.1097/NOR.0000000000000063, Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved. Muscular spasms and Charley horses in your legs may be treated successfully with calf stretching. The good news is, if you do the following massage techniques and calf stretches regularly, you'll be on your way to releasing tension and relieving pain ASAP. Ad Choices, 5 Essential Calf Stretches Everyone Should Be Doing. 1. Seated Calf Stretch with Band . Pull your toes toward your body until you feel a stretch in your calf muscles. To stretch the lower part of your calves, bend your knees slightly while you continue to press your heels toward the ground. Discover new workout ideas, healthy-eating recipes, makeup looks, skin-care advice, the best beauty products and tips, trends, and more from SELF. For this stretch, you'll need a step, a box, or the edge of a treadmill. But that doesn't mean your calves don't deserve some TLC—they play a major role in leg movement, and tightness can lead to pain, imbalances, and inefficiencies in other parts of your body. Lying Calf Stretch. To avoid or reduce calf tightness, static stretches (which are held in place) can make a big difference—they'll help loosen up the filaments of those sarcomeres, says Schroeder. The Calf Strength Exercises You Need. All rights reserved. Press your heels toward the ground—the closer they get to the floor, the deeper the calf stretch will be. Loop a resistance band (or whatever tool you're using) around one foot, holding both sides of it with your hands. "This is one of the most popular [calf stretches] because it can be done anywhere easily," says Otey. Your calves are actually made up of two muscles: The gastrocnemius, which is the large part you probably think of as your calf muscle, and the soleus, which lies underneath it. "[When this happens,] we’ve disrupted the kinetic chain from the bottom up, and immediately you’re in a weakened position," adds Otey. For these reasons, it is important to stretch tight calf muscles. These muscles connect up at the knee and at the bottom of the heel, explains Jan Schroeder, Ph.D., chair and professor of fitness in the department of kinesiology at California State University, Long Beach. That’s how these filaments line up, explains Schroeder. Whenever you feel like your calf muscles are getting tight, give them a quick stretch to keep them feel looser and more flexible. They can give you an accurate diagnosis of your condition and determine if tight calf muscles may be causing your problem. The calf muscle group is mainly comprised of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, which both connect to the Achilles tendon, on the back side of the lower leg. Good calf and Achilles flexibility allows for unrestricted, pain free movement of the lower leg, foot and ankle, and as you can see from the research below, is vital for reducing the incidence of lower limb injuries. If you are having any lower extremity problem, check in with your doctor and then see a physical therapist. Good calf and Achilles flexibility allows for unrestricted, pain free movement of the lower leg, foot and ankle, and as you can see from the research below, is vital for reducing the incidence of lower limb injuries. Everybody is familiar with the old seated calf stretch where you reach out over one leg and hold for thirty seconds. "For example, high heels restrict the full range of motion of that muscle group," says Schroeder. Your calves probably aren’t a muscle group you think of very often—they do their thing, and you do yours. SELF may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. The tendon that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone is known as the Achilles tendon. (Ankle mobility also plays a role here.) Bend your other leg and try not to put much weight into it. To make this a dynamic stretch, you can slowly pedal your heels back and forth, or drop both heels toward the ground and raise them up and down. Plantar fasciitis: What is the diagnosis and treatment? 1. It's also important to include dynamic calf stretches (stretches that involve active movement) in your routine to improve mobility as well as flexibility, notes Schroeder. If you’re not near a wall, you can also just do this with your hands on your hips (pictured above). Seated Calf Stretch With a Resistance Band. By working to keep your calf muscles flexible, you can get back to moving normally with little or no pain. Best Calf Stretches. "Or, if you have a running shoe that has a really stiff bottom and doesn't allow the foot to roll from the heel to the ball of the foot, [that can also restrict movement].". Lower back pain affects most people at one time or another, but physical activity and stretching can help soothe it. Here are five key stretches you can use to achieve your goals in and out of the ring. For this stretch, you'll need a step, a box, or the edge of a treadmill. Tightness if your calf muscles may also be implicated in plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, or other conditions that affect your foot and ankle. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) often comes along with swelling, which can restrict movement and make muscles feel tight. Your shoes can also play a role. Pull up gently on your toes, feeling the stretch in your calf. A little physiology lesson: In the deepest part of the muscle fiber, there are units called sarcomeres, which are composed of little "bands" (or filaments) that line up and move past each other as your muscles contract and relax. When the calf muscle contracts, it points the toes (known as plantar flexion). Lean toward the wall until you feel tension in the calf muscle of the extended leg. While standing, place your hands on a wall in front of you, with arms outstretched, elbows straight. "Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, knee pain, plantar fasciitis...these can all originate from tight calf muscles," says Schroeder.
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