Muscle Balance – Calves and Shins

Muscle balance is very important when it comes to strength and injury prevention. Most of the major muscle groups of the body have an opposing muscle or muscles that it works with for joint movement and mobility. These muscles work together for movement of the body. If you strengthen or stretch one group of muscles, it is important that you do the same for the opposing muscle group or groups. This will help to prevent developing a muscle imbalance.

In This Series of Muscle Balance – Calves and Shins

I will be discussing the calf muscles, their opposing muscle group or groups, the joints they are connected to, and their actions. I will show exercises and stretches that help to keep those muscles strong and flexible.

The calf muscles are called the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles. These muscles are connected to the back of the knee joint as well as to the bone underneath the knee joint. They run down the leg and connect to the ankle and heel of the foot. The action of these muscles are extension of the ankle, pointing of the toe, and flexion of the knee.

The opposing muscle group to the calves are the shins and that muscle is called the Tibialis Anterior. This muscle is connected to the bone underneath the knee in the front of the leg. It goes down the leg and connects to the base of the foot by the big toe. The action of this muscle is to turn the foot upward and inward.

There are many exercises that can help to strengthen and stretch these muscles.

Here are just a few you can easily do at home without any equipment:

• For exercises do 10-15 reps and 1-3 sets per exercise.
• For static stretches hold each one at least 15-30 seconds.

1) Calf Raises

For calf raises stand with feet hip to shoulder with apart and in good posture. Place hands on your hips. Lift up as high as you can onto your toes bringing heels off the ground and hold for a moment. Lower your heels back to the floor slowly until feet are flat on the ground.

2) Toe Lifts

For toe lifts stand with feet hip to shoulder with apart and in good posture. Place hands on hips. Lift your toes off of the ground and up towards the ceiling and hold for a moment. Lower the toes back to the floor slowly until feet are flat on the ground.

3) Calf Raises to Toe Lifts

For calf raises to toe lifts stand with feet hip to shoulder with apart and in good posture. Place hands on hips. Lift up as high as you can onto your toes bringing heels off the ground. Immediately lower your feet back to the floor and roll back to lift your toes off of the ground and up towards the ceiling. Lower the toes back to the floor and immediately back into the calf raises.

4) Heel Step-Downs

For heel step downs stand with feet hip to shoulder with apart and in good posture. Place hands on hips. Step one foot forward about the length of your walking stride and place just the heel on the ground keeping the toes lifted up and off the ground. Hold for a moment and then step back to your starting position.

5) Heel Walks

For heel walks simply walk around the room on the heels of your feet keeping your toes lifted off of the ground with each step.

6) Staggered Stance Calf Raises

For staggered stance calf raises stand in a staggered stance with one foot forward in front of your body and the other foot behind you. Upper body should be centered in between feet. Make sure you are in good posture and place hands on your hips. Lift the heel of your back foot off floor coming up onto your toes and hold for a moment. Slowly lower the heel all the way to the floor or as close to the floor as you can get it.

7) Wide Stance Calf Raises

For the wide stance calf raises stand with feet wider then the shoulders and turn the toes outward about 45 degrees. Make sure you are standing in good posture and place hands on the hips. From this position lift your toes off the floor and hold a moment. Slowly lower your toes back to the floor until the feet are flat on the ground.

8) Rotating Toe Taps

For the rotating toe taps stand with feet wider then the shoulders and turn the toes outward about 45 degrees. Make sure you are standing in good posture and place hands on the hips. From this position lift your toes off the floor and turn them inward rotating through the heel of your foot and tap the floor with your toes. Lift your toes up and off the floor from this position and turn them outward and away from the body rotating through the heels and back to a 45 degree angle, tap the floor with your toes.

9) Standing Calf Stretch

For the standing calf stretch stand with feet hip to shoulder width apart and in good posture. Step forward one foot and lift the toes off the floor leaving just the heel on the ground. Place your standing leg hand on the top of your thigh and reach your other hand down towards your toes while hinging forward through your hips. Continue reaching towards your foot getting your fingers as close to your toes as possible. Your standing leg should have a slight bend in the knee while the leg that you are stretching remains straight.

10) Seated Flex and Point

For the seated flex and point sit on the floor with your upper body in good posture over you hips and hands on the floor with arms at your side. Extend your legs out in front of you with your feet flexed bringing toes towards your body and hold for a moment. Point feet bringing toes away from your body and hold for a moment.

11) Lying Flex and Point

For the lying flex and point lay down on your back with your head resting on the floor and your arms at your sides with palms facing down. Place one foot on the floor with knee bent and extend the opposite leg over hip keeping it straight. From this position flex your foot bringing the toes toward your body and hold for a moment. Point your toe bringing the toes away from the body and hold for a moment.

12) Kneeling Shin Stretch

For the kneeling shin stretch kneel down on the floor with feet pointed so that the top of your toes are on the floor. Hold here to stretch the shins. For a deeper stretch sit on the heels. For an even deeper stretch sit on your heels and move your body slightly back, shift legs to the sides of your body so that feet are on the outside of your legs instead of underneath.

13) Lying Calf Stretch

For the lying calf stretch lay on your back resting your head on the ground. Keep one knee bent with the foot flat to the ground and raise the other leg over the hip keeping it straight. Flex your foot bringing the toes toward your body and reach your hand up towards your foot reaching for the toes. Keep the other arm on the floor at your side with the palm down. To get a deeper stretch grab the toes only if you can reach them while keeping the leg straight. If you cannot keep the leg straight to grab your toes you are not ready to progress this stretch.

Keeping these muscles balanced is extremely important!

These are just a few of the exercises and stretches you can do to keep your calves and shins strong and flexible. Include this routine in your exercise program at least once a week to insure proper muscle balance of these muscle groups.

To experience a live muscle balance class with me as part of my Body Works series at the Mid Island Y JCC click here to see class schedule.