3207 Stretches for tight Soleus 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 soleus muscle. 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 soleus muscle in one or both of your legs. The soleus muscle 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 from the wall 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, keeping both knees bent. Both heels should be on the ground at all times. As you lean forwards you will start to feel a tightness in the back 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. And remember, keep both knees bent during the stretch, otherwise you will be stretching a different muscle in your calf. It is very important not to bounce towards the wall to increase the stretch as this may cause an injury. Now do the same with your other leg. You should repeat this sequence three times, twice a day. If you find the exercise painful, you should stop, and if you have any questions, please speak to your podiatrist.