Quote:
Originally Posted by Wormius
I feel like my lackluster stretching has caught up with me. My shins are super sore today. Actually, my whole left leg seems like it isn’t performing he way it should. I am always worried about overextending it during running because the calf feels really tight, so my strides aren’t as long as they could be. What’s the best stretch to do for this?
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Running is such a dynamic movement that there could be dozens of things causing or factoring in the issue but for simplicity's sake:
There are two direct things you can do to 'rehab' your calves. One won't necessarily fix it, so do both:
-Get rid of the tone in the muscle (ie the trigger points causing you pain/discomfort) with stretching and foam rolling
-Strengthen your calves to prevent them from tightening up again.
Here's a test (that everyone here with calf issues should try!):
Stand on one foot on the edge of a stair (with a railing to hold onto for balance) with your heel hanging off like
so. With full range of motion (ie all the way up, all the way down), perform as many raises as you can (without going too fast; ie 2 seconds up 2 seconds down) and count. When you hit fatigue, rest 30 seconds and try again. Do this for 3 sets
Everyone who runs any significant mileage (especially if you're running races) should be able to do 3 sets of 30. If not, do this exercise (ie at 3 sets of 15 - whatever your fatigue point is) 3 days per week until you can do 3 sets of 30 with the form as mentioned above.
All this being said, sometimes there are issues up or down the chain (ie stiff midfoot, lumbar or hip issues) that will affect or contribute to your calf issues as well.