Calf Strengthening

Calf/heel raises are a great low impact way of strengthening your calf muscles. Calf strength is particularly important for runners or people doing high impact exercise.

So why are strong calf muscles important?

• It results in better balance.
• It improves ankle and knee stability therefore reducing the risk of injury.
• It increases power in exercises that require jumping, hopping or bounding.

There are 3 ways to challenge yourself with heel raises

1. Slow it down. Raise your heels up over 3 seconds and down over 3 seconds.
2. Try single leg.
3. Hold a weight in your hand or in a back pack to increase load.

We recommend you start with double leg heel raises and progress to single leg. Aim for 10 reps and slowly build up to 3 sets, performed every 2nd day.

Good luck!

Written by Gabi Levitan, Physiotherapist.