Your heel bone, called the calcaneus, carries the majority of your body weight through your foot and sits just below the bones of your lower leg, the tibia and fibula. The calcaneus serves as a major attachment point for many muscles, such as your calf muscles through the Achilles tendon. A calcaneus fracture can take six to 10 weeks to heal and requires several months of immobilization of your foot and ankle joint through the use of a cast. Once the bone itself has healed enough for the cast to be removed, the muscles that attach to the calcaneus must be strengthened. During the immobilization phase, your foot and lower leg muscles will atrophy, or lose size and strength. Re-strengthening the muscles that attach to the calcaneus can help prevent future injury to your foot and ankle complex. Always consult a physician before beginning a strength-training program.
Seated Calf Raise
Seated calf raises effectively target the soleus muscle, which is a deep muscle in the back of your calf that attaches to your heel bone through the Achilles tendon and provides ankle stability when you are standing and walking.
Sit on a chair with the balls of your feet on a block or short platform that is about 2 to 3 inches tall. Hang your heels off the back edge of the platform with your knees bent to a 90-degree angle. Place a small weight on the top of your thighs. Next, raise both heels up above the level of the platform by pushing upward through the tips of your toes. Hold for three to five seconds and bring your heels back down to the starting position. Repeat for two to three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.
Standing Calf Raise
Standing calf raises are performed in a similar way to seated calf raises. Performing this exercise while standing as opposed to seated will change the lower leg muscles you are using. Standing calf raises target your lateral and medial gastrocnemius muscles, which comprise the bulk of your calf. The gastrocnemius muscles are involved in every upright activity, including standing, walking, running and jumping.
Stand up straight with your toes on a step and your heels hanging off the back edge. Lower your heels below the step until you feel a light stretch in your calves and press upward to the tips of your toes. Hold for three to five seconds and repeat. Perform two to three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.
Heel Walk
In addition to strengthening the muscles on the back of your lower leg, you should also strengthen the muscle on the front of your lower leg as well. Your tibialis anterior muscle, which is located along the length of your shin and insets into the top of your foot, controls ankle dorsiflexion and inversion. Since the tibialis anterior is a somewhat small and narrow muscle, it is especially vulnerable to atrophy while your foot is in a cast.
Stand up straight with your toes in the air so that all of your body weight is on your heels. Next, walk across a room for about 15 to 20 feet without your toes touching the floor and repeat for two to three sets.
Writing the Alphabet
Along with the large muscles of your lower leg, a lot of smaller muscles attach to your calcaneus that control fine motor movement in your foot and ankle. To strengthen these muscles, try writing the alphabet with your toes. Begin by standing up straight while balancing on your uninjured leg. Hold on to a table or chair for balance if necessary. Lift your injured foot off the floor by about 10 to 12 inches and write the alphabet in the air with your toes. Begin with the letter "A" and finish with the letter "Z."
References
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore, David L. Costill; 2004
- "Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques"; Carolyn Kisner, Lynn Colby; 2007
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