Purpose: To lengthen and actively inhibit tendo-achilles (gastrocnemius) and soleus. These muscles in the calf often feel they have to fix as do the feet if stability is not good higher up in the pelvis.
1. In standing, lean forwards with your hands against the wall (or on the back of a stable chair). Have one leg behind the other, with both feet at 90 degrees to the wall.
2. Lean forwards over the front bent leg and have your back leg straight. You should feel a stretch up the back of your calf on the behind leg. If not, take your leg out further behind you.
3. Find pelvic neutral, engage your pelvic floor and deep transverse abdominals. Turn out slightly at the hip of the back leg to find hip neutral and activate gluteus medius and maximus. It may help to think of turning out at the headlights. Straighten your knee on your back leg to activate VMO. Hold or bend and straighten at the knee for 30 seconds. This will lengthen the gastrocnemius which is the part of the muscle that attaches above the knee.
4. To lengthen soleus which attaches below the knee (and there is no point in lengthening one if you do not lengthen the other), you need to bend the back knee and take your weight back as if you are going to sit down. You should feel a stretch in the calf but subtly different to the gastrocnemius stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and change to the other leg.
