Fitness

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Calf stretch

Your calf muscle runs along the back of your lower leg. To stretch your calf muscles:

• Stand at arm's length from a wall or a piece of sturdy exercise equipment.
• Place your right foot behind your left foot.
• Slowly bend your left leg forward, keeping your right knee straight and your right heel on the floor.
• Hold your back straight and your hips forward. Don't rotate your feet inward or outward.
• Hold for about 30 seconds.
• Switch legs and repeat.
• To deepen the stretch, slightly bend your right knee as you bend your left leg forward.

1. Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 4, 2011.
2. Montico MP, et al. Injury prevention. In: McKeag DB, et al. ACSM's Primary Care Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007:133.
3. Woods K, et al. Warm-up and stretching in the prevention of muscular injury. Sports Medicine. 2007;37:1089.
4. Beedle BB, et al. No difference in pre- and postexercise stretching on flexibility. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2007;21:780.