Caring for calves

You probably didn't know I was a cattle farmer. Probably because I'm... NOT! I only have two calves, and they are on my legs. They are also perhaps the best and worst part of my body.

If I do say so myself, I have muscular calves. I think they've always been that way to some degree, but more so since I've been a runner.

Yet even though my calves are very muscular, they are also the source of soreness more than any other part of my body (actually it's the entire lower leg). I don't know if it's because of my running form, or what exactly, but I've been trying to address the situation lately.

I wear compression sleeves on my lower legs quite often. Usually when I walk outside, after running, and sometimes when I sleep. That is supposed to help with circulation.

I ran across this article in Runners World 'The Best Calf Stretches and Calf Exercises to Help You Run Strong and Prevent Injury'. I feel like I already exercise my calves quite a bit (which is why they're sore), so I'm not sure why working them out even more will help. But what do I know...

They say weak calves can lead to achilles tendonitis, shin splints, calf strains, hamstring or hip problems, and plantar fasciitis. Yep, I've had several of those. So they suggest the following exercises and stretches.

Calf Exercises to Get Stronger:

1. Farmer's Walk on Toes - Hold a pair of heavy dumbbells straight down at your sides. Rise up on your toes and walk forward for 60 seconds. Do 3 sets daily.
2. Eccentric Calf Raise - Stand on a step with your heels hanging off the edge. Rise up onto your toes, then very slowly drop your heels below the level of the step, and back up. Do 3 sets of 15 reps daily.
3. Plyometric Jump Squat - Stand with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart and toes turned slightly out. Send hips back and bend knees to squat as low as possible with chest lifted. As you return to standing, explode back up as high as you can and land softly. Do 3 sets of 15 daily.

Calf Stretches to Prevent Injury:

1. Downward Facing Dog - Get on hands and knees and form a triangle with your butt in the air. Bend one knee and push the opposite heel into the ground. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat the other leg. Do 3 sets daily before or after a run.
2. Straight-Leg Calf Stretch - Stand facing a wall with your palms against it. Step one leg forward with knee bent and extend opposite leg straight back, placing your heel flat on the floor and leg straight. Lean into the wall to feel the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and switch legs. Repeat twice for a total of 3 sets. Do this daily up to 3 times a day.
3. Calf Roll With Foam Roller - Seated on the floor, place a foam roller under your ankle. Place opposite foot on the floor, and hands flat on the floor under you. Roll your body forward until the roller reaches the back of your knee, then slowly roll back. Do this 15 times, then do the other leg. Do 3 sets daily.

 

Meh, honestly, I will give these a try, but this seems like an awful lot. I already do calf raises, normal squats, and downward dogs almost every day. Plus I think I'm allergic to foam rollers (it might be because I hate using them). So we'll see. I think a bigger culprit for my calves is that I use them TOO MUCH, and don't utilize my glutes enough when I run (which means I need to strengthen them instead), but, again, what do I know. We'll see.

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“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. - 1 Corinthians 10:23