Technique Tuesday: calf stretching- the most common mistakes
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
