Keeping Your Calf Muscles In Shape

 

Calf Stretch in Long Sitting

Aim

To stretch your calf muscles.

Instructions

Position yourself in long sitting with your knee straight. Place a towel around your one or both feet (depending on what is affected) and gently pull your foot towards your head until you feel a stretch in your calf muscle.

Try to keep your foot pointing to 12 o’clock

Aim to perform this 5-10 times holding the foot in a stretch for 10 seconds. Do this twice a day.

Progression

• Gradually increase the stretch up to 20 and then 30 seconds.

 

Strengthening – Heel Raises

Aim

To strengthen your calf, improve your balance and ensure that your ankle and foot are achieving normal range of motion.

Instructions

Stand up straight with one hand on or against a supporting surface like a wall, chair or worktop.  

Raise up onto your toes slowly, in a controlled way as high as is comfortably possible keeping the weight slightly towards the base of your big toe.  

Then lower the heels down as slowly as you can until the heels are just hovering above the ground. Try not to let your heels touch the ground in between each raise.

Aim to perform this 5-10 times, raising slowly,  holding the foot at the top of the raise for 3-5 seconds during each repetition. Do this 3-4 times each day.

Gradually increase the number of raises until you can do 30-50 without requiring support from a wall or surface.

 

Progression

• Remove supporting surface to challenge balance.
• Once you’ve improved, try doing it on one leg, but you will probably need to support yourself.

 

Here is a helpful instructional video for you

Calf Stretching/Strengthening

Aim

To stretch and strengthen your calf muscles once they are strong enough to comfortably raise your body weight.

Your Instructions

Stand on a block or the bottom step of some stairs with your heels hanging off the edge and your ankle at 90º.  Aim to have 50% of your feet on the step.  Hold on to a support/banister. Let the weight of your body lower your heels towards the floor until you feel a gentle stretch in your calf.  Do not bounce and hold 2 seconds.  Only stretch to resistance. Then slowly rise onto your forefoot keeping your body vertical and pressure slightly towards the big toes. Hold for two seconds then gradually lower towards your heels again

Aim to perform this 10 times. Do this 3-4 times each day. Gradually increase the number of raises until you can do 30-50 without requiring support from a wall or surface.

 

Progression

• Gradually lower the starting point of your feet so that your heels start lower below the level of the step.
• Try increasing your weight by wearing a backpack, holding around 10% of your body weight.
• You can start doing this exercise going up on two legs, but slowly dropping down on one leg.

 

Here is a helpful instructional video for you

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