1. Try a Seated Heel Raise
This exercise can be done on a machine found at a gym or at home by resting weights on your lap or wearing ankle weights. Sit up straight with the feet flat on the floor. Press your toes into the floor and lit your heels up as high as you can. Then slowly lower the heels back down. Do not rock your body during this exercise. Make sure you just lift and lower the heels. Use a four, one-thousand count to both lift the heels and to lower the heels. Do this exercise slowly and with control. Repeat for three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
2. Do a Heel Drop on Your Stairs
Stand on a stair and hold onto the railing for support. Your toes and instep should be on the step and your heels should be hanging off the step. Make sure you keep your knees slightly bent throughout this exercise to avoid knee injuries. Shift your weight back and drop your heels down. The toes should lift up a bit. Do not rock the buttocks back or lock the knees. Just drop the heels down as far as you can keeping your knees bent and the hips under the shoulders. Then lift the heels and push into the toes. Lift the heels up as high as you can. Again do not lock the knees. Use a four, one-thousand count to both lift the heels and to lower the heels. Do this exercise slowly and with control. To advance this exercise, you can do it while wearing ankle weights or on just one leg at a time. Repeat for three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
If you want to really tone your calf muscles, do one set with the toes pointing forward, one set with the feet turned out and one set with the feet turned in.
3. Perform a Plantar Flexion Exercise with Tubing
For this exercise you will need a piece of stretchy tubing or band. Sit up straight on the floor or on your bed. If on the floor, place the left foot under your right ankle so your right foot is off the floor. If on a bed, let your right foot hang off the end of the bed. Wrap the tubing around the bottom of your right foot. Place it under the toes to get the most effective workout. Hold the ends of the band or tubing tightly in your hands. Press your toes down and into the band so you are pointing your foot. Pull back on the band with your hands to adjust the resistance. Then slowly bring the toes back up and flex the foot. As you come up, make sure you resist the band and release out slowly. Do this exercise slowly and with control. Use a four, one-thousand count to both point the foot and to flex the foot. Repeat for three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
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