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Stretch Calves
Stretch It: Calves
Tight calves can be an unwanted side effect of such opposite activities as running or wearing high heels. Many people neglect stretching their calves! Since you have two layers of calf muscles, you need to do two stretches to ensure you are reaching both.
Portable stretch: Calves
Looking for inconspicuous ways to stretch when you're waiting for the bus, standing in line or riding the elevator? Well here is a "portable" stretch - a stretch you can take with you wherever you go.
While standing, straighten your leg out to the front or the side, depending on where you have room.
Stretch It: Calves
The calf muscles get worked from just about every activity, from wearing killer heels to running. It pays to know multiple ways to lengthen tight calves and here are five of my favorite stretches.
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Wear Heels? Stretch These Muscles
We all know that high heeled shoes are pretty, and pretty bad for your body. Yet, we all end up wearing them sometime or another - a big meeting, a wedding, or almost everyday.
Basically the height of the heel pushes the weight of the body forward which interferes with your balance.
How Can I Prevent Shin Splints?
Chances are, if you are a runner, you've experienced the pain of shin splints. It basically refers to the condition called Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS).
When you overwork the muscles in the shin, the muscles exert a great amount of force on the shin bones (tibia and fibula) to keep your foot, ankle, and lower leg stable.
Do You Stretch in Public?
I am a busy woman with tight legs and have found waiting for the elevator is a great time to stretch my calves. I have been known to stretch my quads on the subway platform, and my back at the airport.
Do You Stretch in Public?
Stretch It: Towel Foot Stretch
If you think about it, your feet take a lot of beating, from pounding the ground when running, to walking all over the city, to wearing high heels. They carry the weight of our entire bodies, so take time to give them some TLC. This stretch will target the muscle in the soles of your feet, but will also stretch your calves.
Get It Up, Your Heart Rate, That Is: Hill Repeats
Love it or avoid it, running hills is simply great conditioning. After exerting yourself to climb hills, running in the flats will feel easy. Once you begin tackling hills, they will be less intimidating.
Strike a Yoga Pose: Quarter Dog
If you love the way Downward Facing Dog stretches out your hamstrings, calves, and lower back, but don't love the wrist pain the pose can cause, then here's a variation to try. With your forearms on the ground, the quarter dog variation takes the weight out of your hands and wrists. Even though this pose seems relaxing, it's not as easy as it looks.
Show Your Running Knees Some Love
Running as a convenient form of cardio may be the bee's knees, but it can leave my knees aching. Although studies have found there is no connection between running and an increased risk for arthritis, there are some easy ways to show your knees some love.
- Stay flexible: Tight hamstrings or quads can prevent the knee from going through its full range of motion, which can negatively impact the soft tissues that work the knee.
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