Technique Tuesday: calf stretching- the most common mistakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WvSkxVomjk

Equipment:

– hand towel or pillow case

Purpose:

– loosen your calf muscle

– improve your ankle mobility

– stretch in a manner that does not result in compensation through another area — in this case we are ensuring that compensation does not occur through the middle of your foot

Technique Tips:

– your back foot should be pointed straight forward, not out to the side

– keep your arch elevated and do not let it drop down towards the ground — you can place a towel roll under your arch to help stabilize it; this decreases the risk of compensation through the middle of your foot

– if you stretch your calf with your arch in a collapsed position this can both create a bad habit and instability through your midfoot, which can cause pain through this area

– your heel should stay pressed down into the ground the entire time

– your hips should be facing forward — do not let your pelvis rotate while doing this

**You can do the same thing with a slight bend in your back knee to stretch your soleus, the muscle that sits below your calf and above your achilles

#stretch #techniqueTuesday #exercise #mobility #recovery

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