3206 Stretches for tight gastrocnemius muscles

Hello. Your podiatrist has examined you and has found that one of the muscles in your calf is tight. The muscle is called the gastrocnemius. We think that this tightness may be contributing to your foot, ankle or lower limb pain or discomfort. In this video we will show you some exercises to stretch the gastrocnemius in one or both of your legs. The gastrocnemius is a muscle in your calf. It helps to point your foot towards the floor and propel you forward when you run, walk or jump. Find a flat wall with plenty of floor space in front of it. Face the wall, and stand roughly one foot away with your toes pointing towards the wall. Place the palms of your hands flat against the wall, at approximately shoulder height and shoulder width apart. Now move one leg backwards, keeping your toes pointing towards the wall. Slowly lean in towards the wall, bending the knee closest to the wall and keeping the back leg straight. Both heels should be on the ground at all times. As you lean forwards you will start to feel a tightness in the straight leg. Hold the stretch for thirty seconds before slowly returning to an upright position. If you don’t feel a tightness in your leg as you lean forwards, you may not have moved your leg back far enough. Reposition and try again. It is very important not to bounce towards the wall to increase the stretch as this may cause an injury. Repeat the stretch on your other leg, and then on both legs again. You should do this three times a day. If you find the exercise painful, you should stop, and if you have any questions, please speak to your podiatrist.