Did you ever wonder, “Why do I bother stretching my calves?” The calf is a combination of muscles located below the back of the knee. Here’s why you should stretch them.
The ankle joint was designed to be a mobile joint and should move in multiple planes (up, down, left, right, pronation, supination). Unfortunately, as a result of lack of use, overuse or misuse, the ankle may lose it’s mobility or range of motion and can put excessive forces on segments/joints that were designed to be stable (i.e. the foot, knee, lower back). Tight calf muscles directly relate to poor ankle mobility, which can lead to instability and injury in the stable joints. In short, stretching your calves can improve ankle mobility and decrease injury to other parts of the body, so stretch those calves to protect the rest of you!
Here is an easy exercise to improve ankle mobility and stretch your calves. Place a foam roller or block of wood 1-2 feet away from a wall. Face the wall and place the ball of your foot on the roller or block with your heals on the ground. Gently hinge forward at your ankle until you feel a slight stretch in you calf muscle (back side of your lower leg). Hold the stretch for 20 seconds and repeat the 20 second interval 3 times. This will improve ankle mobility, and decrease stress on your feet, knees, and lower back.