Muscle:
- Soleus – deep muscle within the group of posterior calf muscles
Muscle Action:
- Plantar-flexion of the ankle joint
- Controls ankle dorsi-flexion eccentrically
Method:
- Stand facing a wall and adopt a lunge position
- Keep the front leg relaxed and both feet flat on the ground
- Bend the rear knee and place your weight onto the flexed rear leg
- Keep both feet facing forwards
- Stretch downwards and backwards onto the flexed rear leg until a stretch is felt at the back of the rear leg calf muscle
- Hold for 10-30 seconds & repeat 3 times or as instructed by the physiotherapist or fitness instructor
- To prevent muscle imbalance, always stretch both sides
Physiotherapy, Injury Prevention & Fitness Recommendations:
- Avoid bouncing when the muscle is cold
- Stop if the stretch causes pain
- Perform the stretch in a safe environment to avoid the risk of a fall or injury
- Recommended stretch for use within a warm-up or cool down
- Tight gastrocnemius muscles may contribute to biomechanical injuries, lower limb problems or low back pain
- Tight soleus muscles may develop due to specific footwear or biomechanical implications
- As instructed by a skilled physiotherapist, the stretch is beneficial for injury prevention, to aid recovery from specific injuries, enhancement of the injury healing process, elongates shortened muscles, reduces soft tissue tightness and alleviates joint stiffness.
Please feel free to contact the Manchester G4 Clinic to speak to a member of the team for any questions that you may have.