Calf Workout

Foot pumps are a very simple calf muscle exercise to get the muscle working and to help improve circulation - perfect in the early stages following an injury or surgery.

• Lie on the bed with your legs out straight
  
  
• Point your toes down away from you and then pull your foot up towards you, both as far as you can
  
  
• Repeat up and down with a rhythmical pumping action
  
  
• Spend about one minute doing this. If you are doing this exercise after an injury or surgery, aim to do it every couple of hours.
  

You can also do this exercise when sitting, keeping your foot raised slightly off the floor.

Seated calf raises are a great place to start with for improving calf strength and flexibility without putting any weight through the foot.

• Sit in a chair, feet flat on the floor, knees bent at right angles (90 degrees)
  
  
• Gently press your toes into the floor as you lift your heel(s) up as high as you can
  
  
• Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower back down to the floor
  
  
• Repeat 10-20 times daily

To progress this exercise place a weight on your knees/thighs, such as a barbell or backpack containing heavy books, so you are lifting up against resistance.

Standing calf raises work the calf muscles against gravity to strengthen them and work the muscle with weight going through it.

• Stand with your feet flat on the floor, holding onto a chair or the wall for balance
  
  
• Rise up onto your tiptoes, as high as you can, Keeping your knees straight and your body upright throughout
  
  
• Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower down
  
  
• Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions

You are aiming to take your weight equally on both feet. If that is too difficult to start with, let your good foot do more of the work and gradually progress to equal work as able.

You can progress this exercise either by holding weights or wearing a backpack containing heavy objects so you have to lift up against more resistance

Single leg calf raises are a really great way to increase calf strength - they look simple but are super effective.

• Stand holding onto a chair or the wall for balance and lift one foot off the floor
  
  
• Push up onto your tiptoes lifting your as high as you can
    
• Hold for 3-5 seconds and then slowly lower back down to the floor
  
  
• Aim for 3 sets of 10 repetitions, gradually building up to 30 reps

You get maximum benefit from calf workout exercises by not taking any weight through your hands – let your legs do the work. Your hands are just there for balance if needed

Doing calf raises on a step works the calf muscles right through their full range which really helps to increase strength - one of my favourite calf workout exercises

• Stand with your heels hanging off a step, holding onto something for balance e.g. wall or banister
  
  
• Let your heels drop down as far as feels comfortable and then push up onto your tip toes
  
  
• Hold for 3 seconds and then drop back down as low as you can
  
  
• Repeat 10-25 times

Make sure you are taking your weight evenly through both feet.  You may feel a stretch in your calf as you let your heels drop down – that is fine.  You are just having a bit of a stretch as well as strengthening the muscles

Resistance bands are a great tool for muscle strengthening and are a good way to add variety to your calf workout without having to take any weight through your leg.

• Sitting or lying down, wrap a resistance band around the ball of your foot, hold onto the end and take up the slack 

• Push your foot downwards against the band, pointing your toes as far down as you can
  
  
• Hold for 3 seconds and slowly let your foot come back up
  
  
• Repeat 10-20 times

The more tightly you pull the band to increase the tension, the harder the calf muscles will have to work. Different coloured bands provide different levels of resistance so make sure you choose the right one for your calf workout. 

It sounds simple but this is a great calf workout.  Jumps are very functional strengthening calf exercises and are a good cardiovascular exercise too.

• Stand with both feet flat on the floor
  
  
• Jump up and down on the spot. You should be pushing up through your toes on the way up, and landing on your toes first as you land.
  
  
• Repeat 10-50 times either in one go or in 3 sets of 15

If you want to make things more challenging, rather than just jumping up and down, jump in different directions, or jump up onto a step or box and then jump back down.

To work harder, hold weights as you do this exercise e.g. dumb bells or bottles of water. Or if you want even more of a challenge, start in a squat position and then jump up and down.

This works the muscle through the full range and is good for balance and stability too. 

• Stand with your heels hanging off the back of a step, holding the wall for balance and lift on foot.
  
  
• Push up onto your toes as high as you can and hold for 3-5 seconds
  
  
• Slowly lower down as far as you can
  
  
• Repeat 10-30 times on each leg

For more of a challenge, wear a backpack containing heavy books while doing this exercise to make this an even harder calf workout