Lower leg, ankle and foot
Here we look at everything from your toes to your knees, which includes muscles of the calfs, shins and feet. The muscles here are crucial for stability, mobility and propulsion. However they are often overlooked or neglected.
Your feet and toes may be crammed in to shoes and subjected to thousands of steps each and every day, sometimes with great force and having to deal with changing terrain. The big toe is the big boss when it comes to controlling balance, propelling us forward and generally the way we walk/run. The rest of the foot is integral to how we move, but after a day in shoes the muscles, ligaments and tendons can stiffen causing us to move less efficiently or effectively.
The ankle joint is also a vital player in mobility and stability. Stiff ankles will cause other parts of the body to work harder or over compensate for the lack of mobility here. The ligaments and tendons of the ankle work overtime to help keep us upright, even more so over uneven surfaces like a forest trail.
The bigger muscles of the calf (gastrocnemius and soleus) are the power houses of the lower leg. They help to generate force when running and jumping. If you’ve ever had shin splints then you’ll likely have heard of the tibialis anterior on the front of your shin and the issues it can cause. Strength plays an important part in the these muscles playing nicely, but stretching can also help too.
Calf Stretch - Gastrocnemius
Target area: calf (garstrocnemius)
This targets the gastrocnemius muscle which is the bigger belly muscle of the calf. Running can wreak havoc here so a good one for post runs no matter how long or short.
This can be done against a wall, or with your foot against a book, kerb or something similar. Place one leg behind with the foot flat and leg straight. Position the front of the forward foot against the wall or whatever you have handy. Keep the forward leg straight. Slowly raise the back heel off the floor allowing you to shift some weight forward to create a stretch on the forward calf. Hold for thirty seconds or so before repeating with the opposite side.
You can also shift your front foot toes to target different areas of the calf. Point your toes outwards or inwards (think 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock) and again gently shift your weight forward to create a stretch. Thirty seconds is a good hold before repeating on the other leg.
Calf Stretch - Soleus
Target area: calf (soleus)
The lesser known of the calf muscles, the soleus sits deeper and flatten on the calf. It can often be forgotten about but it oh so important, especially if you're a runner. Here is where most of the force is generated so it's not surprising that a calf niggle will be the soleus asking for some attention.
This stretch can be done against a wall, or with your foot against a book, kerb or something similar. Place one leg behind with a gentle bend in the knee. Position the front of the forward foot against the wall, or whatever you have handy. The forward knee should also have a gentle bend. Slowly shift some weight forward to create a stretch on the forward calf. Hold for thirty seconds or so before repeating with the opposite side. You should feel this in the lower calf.
You can get a similar stretch whilst seated on the floor too. Bend both knees and pull your toes towards you. Again holding for thirty seconds or so.
Tibialis Anterior (shin) Stretch
Target areas: Tibialis anterior
Tibialis anterior is one of the culprits for the dreaded shin splints. This is a nice simple stretch to work some magic on the front of your shin and ankle. You may feel pressure on your knees or ankles from kneeling so please do not carry on with this stretch if your find it painful.
Sit in a kneeling position and then back on to your heels, if you can. If you find it awkward on your knees to sit your hips down this far then place a cushion behind your knees to sit on. Keeping your knees close together, gently lean back and place your hands on behind you for support. You should begin to feel the stretch on the front of your lower leg; along your shin and front of your ankle. If you have the range of movement, you could slightly raise your knees off the floor one at a time, but please work within your own abilities at the time.
Toe Yoga
This one might take a wee bit of practice so don’t worry if you can’t do it straight away. The big toe is used every day for walking and running as this is where the propulsion forward comes from. No matter how ugly toes might be, they are big players for movement so be kind to them and show them some love.
Sit with your feet flat on the floor in front of you. Lift just the big toes, on both feet at one time, whilst keeping the other four toes on the floor. Next, switch it up to lift the other four toes whilst keeping the big toe on the floor. If you need to hold the big toe down at first then do. Repeat this sequence a number of times.
This might take more effort and concentration that you’d first expect but keep working at it and you’ll get there. Once you’ve got the hang of it, this can easily be done whilst watching tv or at your desk.
