THE calf muscles (gastronemius and soleus) are often tight in people who do a lot of running, walking, cycling or weight training – and of course, too much sitting doesn’t help either.
Reduced ankle mobility also causes tightness in the lower legs, and the reason for this is that if you are not able to flex the foot effectively, it puts more strain on the calf muscles.
And finally, tight hips can affect your calves, so work on loosening your hips and feel the benefits everywhere.
In addition to feeling more comfortable as you release tight areas in your legs, you may find that foot pain is relieved. Conditions such as plantar fasciitis are exacerbated by tightness in the calves.
Calf flexibility is also essential for all running sports. Finally, remember that a tight muscle is a weak muscle. So when muscles are more flexible, you are less likely to get injured.
Fortunately, the stretching and strengthening work you do during a yoga class can help relieve tight legs, but remember that if you run or walk daily, you’ll also need to make sure you stretch daily.
Most well-organized yoga classes will focus on loosening all parts of the body, but these poses in particular will help:
Eye of the Needle (Sucirandhrasana)
Adapt by gently massaging your calves and rotating your ankles. Place a folded blanket or low yoga block under the head if the shoulders or neck are tense.
Hand inclined to the big toe (Supta Padangusthasana)
If you can’t reach your foot, place a belt around the fleshy part of your foot instead. The leg does not need to be straight to benefit from the benefits of this pose.
Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
Intensify the pose by using a belt, placing a block at the tips of the feet, or holding the feet with the hands and focusing on entering the feet. Soften the knees if the hamstrings and/or back are tight.
Squat (Malasana)
This will help stretch and tone the whole body and especially the hips, which in turn will help the calves. Adapt it by placing the heels on a rolled up yoga mat if the heels are not touching the floor.
Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)
From a low lunge, lift your front heel off the floor and bounce back gently. Be aware of how your knees feel as you do this and take it slowly.
Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Adapt by lifting your toes off the floor and placing your hands underneath them. Bend your knees if your hamstrings or back are tight.
Kneeling (Vajrasana)
From your knees, tuck your toes under and push your hips back toward your heels. Place a mat or folded cushion on your heels if this feels too intense.
Downy Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Adapt by peddling the feet, raising and lowering both feet, bringing the feet closer to the hands and placing one foot on top of the other – making sure the hips remain square. Knees can stay soft if it’s too intense.
Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1)
Adapt it by placing your hands on a wall. This will help with hip alignment and give you something to push against.
Monkey (Hanumanasana)
The yoga version of the splits can be practiced with a block on each side of the leg which will ensure that the back is kept straight.
Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Adapt it by placing your toes on a rolled or folded blanket.
By Natasha Harding