5 best calf stretches to strengthen and injury-proof your lower leg

If you’re the type of runner who thinks that to become a better, faster, stronger runner, all you need to do is run. plus, you have to think again.

While ‘junk miles’ may seem like it makes you fitter, running more doesn’t necessarily equate to stronger muscles. That’s why it’s so important section Y power train – to lengthen our muscle fibers, increase our range of motion and reduce the risk of injury.

As runners, there are certain muscle groups that provide power and load bearing, including those in our posterior chain (calves, hamstrings, buttocks, for instance). However, calves are often forgotten.

Why do runners need to strengthen their calves?

“The calf muscles are essential for control of foot movement (dorsiflexion, plantarflexion) for walking and running”, explains Liz Tough, Injury Rehabilitation Therapist and Owner of Physiotherapy & Wellness Clinic, body first uk. “The strength of your calf muscles will determine your gait and your ability to run short distances (sprinters) or long distances (marathon) and will also determine how fast you can run.”

Essentially, think of your lower leg as the driving force behind your running speed. Stronger calves = faster speeds.

“The calf muscles also need to be strengthened as they connect directly to the Achilles tendonwhich often creates pain and injuries for runnersTough adds. “Calf strength is often underestimated as a priority for pain-free running.”

So while the calf muscles help take the pressure off the ankle and knee joints (and take most of the impact of running), many runners avoid strengthening the calves. Why? “A lot of the time quadriceps and the hamstrings get more focus because they are the largest muscle groups, therefore they are considered more important,” says Tough. “However, most of the time the pain and discomfort will start in the calves, which can precede a quadriceps or hamstring problem.”

And there also seems to be a link between the calves and the buttocks, she says. “Runners require both if they want to be successful in their career. The glutes can be seen as the engine and are needed to propel us forward, while the calves can be seen as the flywheel. One cannot succeed without the other.”

So, can a calf stretch prevent a calf strain or tear?

The short answer: yes. “If the muscles, or indeed all the soft tissues, are too tight, lack range of motion, lack flexibility or lack of flexibility and the soft tissues do not move as a query or move freely, they can pull on the tendons that are attached to the bone,” says Tough. “Without flex or flexibility, it’s like pulling on a taut rope, where frays and then tears can occur.”

And should you stretch before or after your run?

Both are essential, but “it’s vitally important to know which type of stretching is best before or after your races,” says Tough.

Before you run, do some dynamic stretching to really warm up your muscles and lengthen them. “This will help prevent injury and improve performance,” she says. “I’m not a fan of stretching cold muscles and advise my runners to do static stretching after the run, which can usually mean lengthening and realigning soft tissues that have become short and tight during the run.”

His key advice? Remember to breathe. “Many people tend to hold their breath while stretching, but this can cause tension in the muscles and make it difficult to stretch and therefore not be able to fully stretch.”

Read on for the best calf stretches to help strengthen and lengthen your lower legs…

The best calf stretches for runners

1. Calf Raise

Apparently Steve Cram (retired British track and field athlete) used to do 500 of these every day as a young athlete, and broke the world record for the mile more than once.

1. Stand on one leg with your hands against the wall for balance.
2. Rise up on your toes and lower yourself slowly.
3. Repeat for 3-5 sets of 15-20 reps on each side.

2. Eccentric calf raises

Once you’ve mastered the single calf raise, try an eccentric calf raise to help build strength.

1. Place a step or box on the floor and stand on the edge, so your heels dangle over the end.
2. Raise your heels, lift both feet at a normal pace, and then come down very slowly and as low as your heels can go.
3. Repeat for 3-5 sets of 15-20 repetitions.

3. Calf Raises to Stretch

This is the calf version of a ‘walking lunge’ and is great for warm-ups: raise your calves, step forward and land in a stretch position, repeat.

1. Rest your hands on your hips, balance on one leg, raise your calf, then step forward and bend your front knee for a calf stretch on your back leg.
2. Move your hands towards the front knee as you land.
3. Step up to your front leg into a single leg calf raise, then step into a stretch.
4. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions on each side.

4. Standing Calf Stretch

The easiest way to feel a stretch in the back of your legs is with a simple standing calf stretch. Hold onto a wall or the back of a chair.

1. Hold onto the back of a chair and bring your right leg back, keeping it straight.
2. Bend your left knee and lean into your left leg until you find a stretch at the back of your calf.
3. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch legs.
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5. Seated Calf Stretch

For this stretch, you ideally need a resistance band, but if you don’t have one, try using a dish towel instead.

1. Sit on the floor with one leg straight out in front of you and the other bent, then wrap the resistance band around the bottom of your foot with your straight leg.
2. Hold one end of the band in each hand and pull the band toward you to flex your foot and stretch your calf.
3. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat on the other foot.