Your calves consist of the gastrocnemius and the soleus that work together with your feet, legs and hips to run, jump and perform other physical activities. Specifically, your calves extend and flex your feet and help accelerate your body at the start of a jump or run. The best calf exercises integrate your calves with the rest of your body instead of isolating those muscles by themselves, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Jump Rope
Stand with your feet together and swing a jump rope underneath you. Jump about 2 inches over it and land gently on the balls of your feet. Jump at a rate of two jumps per second for one minute without making a mistake. Rest for 30 seconds.
Lift your right knee up to your ribs and jump on your left foot for about one minute at the same rate as the previous exercise. Switch legs and jump for another minute. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat the two exercises two more times.
Standing Heel Drop
Stand at the edge of a step on a flight of stairs on the balls of your feet and toes. Hold onto either side of the rail or banister with your hands. Drop your heels down and line your toes up while keeping your posture upright. Tighten your thighs and buttocks slightly. Hold the stretch for six to 10 deep breaths. Repeat the stretch two more times.
Wind Sprints
Sprinting is running as fast as you can over a short distance or a short period of time. Place two orange cones about 20 m apart from each other on a turf field or running track. Sprint from the starting cone to the opposite cone. Turn around and sprint back to the starting cone. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds. Increase the distance between the cones by 5 m every time you perform another set of sprints until the distance is 50 m apart.
Squats
All forms of squats train all of your hip, leg and abdominal muscles. Stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart and point your feet forward. Raise your arms above your head and squat down as low as you can. Keep your torso upright and your knees and feet pointing forward. Do not hunch your back or stick your neck forward. Brace your abs and stand back up. Perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
References
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training"; Michael Clark; 2007
- "Stretch to Win"; Ann and Chris Frederick; 2006
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