The soleus is one of the two calf muscles, along with the gastrocnemius, that span the back of your lower legs. Performing strengthening and flexibility exercises regularly is essential for keeping the muscle healthy and enabling it to function effectively. Consult a personal trainer to determine which exercises are appropriate for you, and talk to your doctor if any exercise causes pain.
Anatomy and Biomechanics
The soleus lies under the gastrocnemius between your knee and ankle, attaching to the back, upper portions of the fibula and tibia -- the primary bones of your lower leg -- on top and to your heel via the Achilles tendon on the bottom. The muscle assists with plantar flexion, or ankle extension, which occurs when you point your toes away from your head.
Strengthening the Soleus
Stengthening the soleus requires plantar flexing your ankle against external resistance on a regular basis and progressively increasing the amount of resistance over time. The seated calf raise is an example of a resistance exercise that targets the soleus. This exercise involves sitting on a bench or chair with your knees flexed and toes on an elevated surface, such as a box or step, holding a weighted barbell across the top of your knees and lifting and lowering your heels repeatedly, covering as large a range of motion as possible.
Stretching the Soleus
Stretching the soleus regularly will increase the muscle's flexibility, allowing you to move your ankle freely and easily. This involves lengthening the muscle by dorsiflexing your ankle, which is the opposite range of motion as plantar flexion. The floorboard stretch, for example, involves standing in front of a wall with your feet staggered and hands on the wall for balance, dorsiflexing your front ankle so your toe meets the wall several inches above the floor, and flexing your front knee until you feel light tension through the back of your lower leg. Hold this position for 10 to 30 seconds to stretch the soleus statically, or repeatedly lengthen and shorten the muscle to stretch it dynamically. Stretch both legs for an equal amount of time.
Considerations
A resistance-training program should include soleus exercises two to three times a week. Perform three sets of 12 repetitions during each training session at first, then increase the amount of weight and decrease the number of repetitions every two or three weeks until you're performing three sets of eight repetitions. Stretch the soleus every day, but warm up for at least five minutes beforehand. Examples of warm-up exercises include cycling, jogging and jumping rope.
References
- "Basic Biomechanics"; Susan Hall; 2007
- "NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training; Roger Earle and Thomas Baechle; 2004
- ExRx: Calves
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