How To Do The Calf Stretch With A Partner Video

The calf stretch is great for the lower leg. Learn how to do the calf stretch with a partner in this fitness video.

Take Action

Increase passive resistance
Hands on shin & heel
Isolate calf
Don't push knee joint

About this Author

Carol Childers has been a physical fitness trainer for twenty three years. She is experienced in yoga, pilates, sports conditioning, core strength training and nutrition. She currently works with clients all over the country.

We're going to stretch out the lower part of the leg below the knee into the Achilles, the calf muscle, or gastrocnemius, and with partner stretching you can apply more passive resistance to elongate that muscle a little further for your partner. So, on a calf stretch, you have your partner come up and they're really working with dorsi- and plantar flexion so right here at the ankle to activate that stretch, and then without pressing on the joints, right on that shin bone is where you have your hand supported, and then you're using that to facilitate the stretch just to a point where you're isolating the calf. You don't want to use the hamstring. You want to really isolate it and then release and have them point and flex the top of their thigh to release and then flexing the back as you stretch up and as you release, flexing the front and come up and flex. Idealistically, we would want to hold the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds in this position with breath.

How to Do the Calf Stretch With a Partner Video

Take Action

About this Author