You use your plantar flexor muscles all the time, and if you do not stretch them, tension builds up, causing pain in the calves and even the plantar fascia. The plantar flexor muscles include the gastrocnemius and soleus calf muscles, but these connect to a band of fascia under your foot called the plantar fascia. Together, these parts of the body flex your feet, or point your toes, and also stabilize the metatarsal joints of your toes when you step, land and run.
Easy Hamstring and Calf Stretch
One way to stretch your plantar flexor muscles is to lie down and use a rope or even a towel to pull your foot into dorsiflexion. Dorsiflexion is the opposite movement of plantarflexion and therefore stretches the muscles responsible for plantarflexion -- the calves. Do this stretch by first lying on your back and then bringing one leg straight up toward the ceiling. Wrap the rope around the ball of your foot and pull the toes toward you. Holding the leg straight during this stretch also lengthens the hamstring muscles as they flex the knee, the opposite motion to knee extension. Stretch each leg for 20 to 30 seconds.
Advanced Calf Stretch
The advanced calf stretch puts more pressure on the calf muscles to stretch, especially the gastrocnemius. This stretch is more appropriate for someone needing a deeper stretch than most calf stretches deliver. To perform the advanced calf stretch, hang both heels over the edge of a stair and press the heels down with your legs straight. After 20 to 30 seconds, tuck one ankle behind the other and then switch to stretch each leg individually.
Intense Calf Stretch
The intense calf stretch is an aggressive stretch that provides a greater stretch than most calf stretches. Because you place the foot in dorsiflexion while standing and then lean forward, you begin the stretch in an already intense position and then go farther. To perform this stretch, place your heel on the ground in front of a wall and the ball of your right against the wall. Straighten your leg and step back with your left foot. Then, lean toward the wall. Repeat on the other side. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
Bent Knee Calf Stretch
The bent knee calf stretch places more emphasis on the soleus muscle. When the knee is straight, the gastrocnemius is the target muscle. Bending the knee transfers the stretch down into the soleus, which is below and underneath the gastrocnemius. To perform the bent knee calf stretch, place your right foot a few inches from a wall or sturdy object that you hold on to, and step your left foot back approximately 1 foot to 1.5 feet back behind you. Then, bend your right knee slightly, and without raising your left heel, drop your left knee as close to the ground as you can. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and switch legs.
