I know I consistently promote calf stretching to you all, like here, and here, and even here, but thanks to many of your questions, I realized I have never told you exactly how to do it right: my way.
True, it is a simple concept itself, but it’s not just “any old” calf stretching.
I am not talking about calf stretching before you run. I am not talking about calf stretching after you use the weights at the gym (or however you choose to exercise).
What I am talking about is calf stretching that is done right – everyday – and that is separate from exercise, especially before.
What you see described here is what is proven to be, over time, effective in changing the muscle-tendon units so that our muscles will eventually (patience, people!) return to their optimal (or “normal”) length. Yes, as you age many of your muscles get tighter, especially your calves. You know this because you just get stiffer, but it does not have to be that way.
So you say, “AO, of course I want results. So tell me how!”
…And that is what I have heard more and more lately. And, it is a fair request, which is why I’m sharing that now.
The Skinny on Stretching: The Stuff That Really Counts
Stretching the right way. It’s like something we tell our kids: “There’s no point in doing it if you aren’t going to do it right.” You can stretch off a step in order to get the kind of calf stretch you are really after – which is an isolated and passive stretch of the calf. The best kind!
So, wheat is the biggest, or the most common error I see in stretching?
Well, besides just not doing it or people ignoring me when I tell them to do it separate from any training or workout session, to start, take a look at where you are making contact with your foot. The foot should contact the step against the arch of your foot, not the ball. Believe it or not, the best stretch is obtained this way.
In the past, people have found success with an aerobics step, which works well since it is about 8 inches tall or so. It also has a rounded edge. Do a quick Google search if you need to see one.
If you perform the stretching on stairs, as many do, use the bottom stair and hold onto the railing for support. Athletic shoes with traction seem to work best.
Then slowly relax your ankles, and let your heels go downward. Learning this might take more effort and a little more time than you might think to get it just right. Remember the contact point on the step is your arch, not the balls of your feet. This point can not be over emphasized. Now you should be feeling a pulling (or a tightness) in your upper calf muscle – which is what we want. You should be feeling this stretch high in your calf, just below your knee.
Here’s what else to consider.
Length of time you do it…Every. Day.
Through years of tinkering and observation, I have determined that 9 minutes a day is the right number. It’s best to do it 3 minutes, 3 times per day. You can cluster your stretching like sets. In other words, do a 3 minute stretch, go away for a few minutes (brush your teeth, etc.), then do your next 3 minute stretch, go away for a bit, and then complete your final, 3 minutes, and you are done for the day. It’s easy, it’s done and you are on to the next thing. Less does not seem to work for people, and more is a waste.
How many weeks, or months should you stretch everyday. How long should you keep this up?
Are you going to stop after just a week or two? Again, by overall time span, what I mean is how many weeks or months are spent doing your stretching, each and every day. One of the biggest mistakes I see is that people either want an overnight change, or they “give up” when the pain goes away.
The one “downside” of calf stretching? It takes time. I’ll tell you again: you have to be consistent. Fortunately, but maybe not in your particular case, the problems we are solving are manageable, until the stretching finally does its job. Good things most often do not came fast. Be patient.
This will work, just be consistent and do it everyday. Moderate your stretching intensity to feel it high in your calf. Go easy for a week or so and break in slow.
Download this Guide to see the rest of this program, and share it with your friends and family…Unless you want them to be in pain? (Actually, for prevention purposes, this particular stretch would be good for everyone to do, with or without pain or foot problems.) You can call it the AO way, no kidding!
“So If We Do the Stretching The Right Way…When Do We Start to Get Relief?”
I see people take 2 weeks, to as much as 6 months for their calf stretching to “undo” the powerful, damaging effects that the isolated gastrocnemius contracture has exerted on their foot and ankle. Give it time and the results are most often stunning!
Where will you fall on the spectrum of 2 weeks to 6 months – that is, the time frame needed to resolve your tight calves? That’s one of many things I don’t know for sure! But, one thing I do know, if you don’t stretch you will never know now will you?
WARNING: As you start stretching you may experience pain in a different location or a slight increase in your pain. For instance, if you had plantar fasciitis in the past that is now resolved and you are calf stretching for second MTP synovitis you may experience a return of your plantar fasciitis. Instead of scaring you off, this experience should excite you. It means you are working on the root cause, and something positive is happening. And it should also convince you all this is connected and you are on your way to resolution the right way.
Stay healthy my friends,
AO
Also another quick question if I may. The pain in the ball of my foot worsens when I run. To the point that I cannot put weight on my foot. Will I be able to get back to running after stretching for a few months? Any other exercises or stretches you’d recommend?
Sounds like Morton’s neuroma.
Hello AO, I started running/skipping lately and I overdid it which caused plantar facsittis to both my feets and my feets soles hurt when I stand Or walk…please suggest what should I do? Also can I keep doing my workouts – jogging, skipping, weight training? Thank you. Sorry don’t be angry at me
Yo Kapil,
I am all fired up. You are in real trouble now. First, contrary to most of the morons out there recommending rest to basically everyone (this actually does make me mad!), you can continue working out on any level you want. Here are the general rules on that. If continued workouts create an escalation in your pain over time then back off to where the pain is steady. Acceptable is a scenario where your pain is improving (with calf stretching) or a steady daily cycle of get worse with activity and followed by recovery, but not gradually worsening over time. A great reference analogy would be the movie “Groundhog Day”. In other words, it is OK to play with pain that is within reason.
How did you miss calf stretching? This is what you do, period!
Plantar fasciitis is not some mystical, poof and now you got it- there is an underlying singular cause. However, most of my colleagues forgo the root cause thing and focus only on the end result. No wonder plantar fasciitis treatment fails so often. I’m just getting going and feeling better already and it is, after all, all about me.
Here’s a thought. Should one put their effort into eradicating the smoke, or would they fight the fire? Only a fool would fight the smoke and ignore the fire. This also goes for plantar fasciitis (smoke) and equinus (fire). I am OK for doing things to address the plantar fasciitism to make one feel better, but do not ignore the equinus.
You did not overdo it. This is a critical concept that everyone out there in the AO Nation must understand. This includes my halfwit colleagues. Take a look at my post on inflammation. While “doing too much” may have triggered your plantar fasciitis, it was only the straw that broke the camel’s back. Your plantar fasciitis was just waiting to get going because you have equinus (calves that are too tight) that developed over the past several years and your boost in activities took it over the edge, but DID NOT cause it. I am widely published in this area. This, my friend, is the root cause of plantar fasciitis and 21 other foot and ankle non-traumatic acquired foot and ankle pathologies. And the equinus will be there until you stretch it out.
One final point. Interestingly, plantar fasciitis can and often resolves without addressing the equinus. It is a mystery, but I have theories not to be addressed here. But know this, unresolved equinus, based on my 40 years of heuristic experience, can and will likely cause one of the other 21 foot and ankle non-traumatic acquired foot and ankle pathologies in time. 65% of my patients presenting with one of these other foot and ankle non-traumatic acquired foot and ankle pathologies had a clear cut history of plantar fasciitis in the past 5-10 year give or take. So, there are many reasons to stretch.
OK, I am now calm…..
Stay healthy, my friends,
AO
Just a quick question on the calf stretch. How long do you hold the stretch? When I downloaded the guide and saw the typical pattern of recovery/advancement schedule it shows week 1 as 15 seconds 3 times a day, week 2 30 seconds 3 times a day, etc. just want to make sure I’m correctly assuming that I need to work up to 3 minutes a day by week 6 and that I will actually be holding that stretch for a full 3 minutes or is it a up and down motion?
I’ve been suffering for 5 months and it’s just getting worse. New insoles superfeet orange hurt, bought some Softsoles which is more comfortable but I remembered somewhere in my research that tight calves can cause PF. I’m not a runner but I am a walker but I can’t even do that because of pain. I’ve always worn good quality athletic shoes. I don’t wear high heels and never have. Now my IT band hurts and I have lower back pain. Geez it’s frustrating. Anyway I’m starting the calf stretch today but just want to make sure I have the execution and length/ duration correct. Thanks so muc!
Hey Karen,
So sorry for the delayed response. I live on a small farm and spring gets quite busy and of course that makes me angry.
As to the protocol, most people start at 3 minutes 3 times a day. It all really depends on if you experience pain and how long you can last. More symptomatic people, or older, infirm folks and those with co-morbid conditions might consider the slower start. When stretching, it needs to be a consistent stretch that is held. Of course one can lift out of the stretch to take a break if needed.
Contrary to most of the information out there, shoes and orthotics (this also applies to most all the other goofy treatments) have nothing to do whatsoever with treatment or help with plantar fasciitis. The evidence supports this.
Finally, I have no doubts that your IT band and low back pain stem from equinus and/or your compensation to manage your gait with plantar fasciitis. Stretch you calves and all will fall in line.
Stay healthy, my friends,
AO
Hey Karen,
So sorry for the delayed response. I live on a small farm and spring gets quite busy and of course that makes me angry.
As to the protocol, most people start at 3 minutes 3 times a day. It all really depends on if you experience pain and how long you can last. More symptomatic people, or older, infirm folks and those with co-morbid conditions might consider the slower start. When stretching, it needs to be a consistent stretch that is held. Of course one can lift out of the stretch to take a break if needed.
Contrary to most of the information out there, shoes and orthotics (this also applies to most all the other goofy treatments) have nothing to do whatsoever with treatment or help with plantar fasciitis. The evidence supports this.
Finally, I have no doubts that your IT band and low back pain stem from equinus and/or your compensation to manage your gait with plantar fasciitis. Stretch your calves and all will fall in line.
Stay healthy, my friends,
AO
Dear AO,
I am angry too! My feet are not cooperating. Last Thursday, I work up with a pain under my second toe. When I walked, it felt like there was a marble between the base of my toe and the floor. Whether I sit, stand or walk, it hurts. Didn’t do anything to cause it (except age). Any exercises that would help?
X-rays showed I have arthritis in my feet but now they get stiff. I tried on my old Earth shoes (with the negative heel) and they felt good. Don’t want to make my feet worse. What do you think are the pros and cons of negative heels?
Lastly, I had a great doctor who had a recipe for “secret sauce” that was a great treatment for toenail fungus. He left private practice (boo hoo) to pursue a new career. I have misplaced the recipe. Do you happen to have one? Thank you! Evelyn
Greetings Evelyn,
I am going out on a limb here and guess the arthritis is in your midfoot (arch joints). Even creeping farther out on that limb, I would guess you have had plantar fasciitis in the past. Couple that with the “marble” under your second metatarsal head and you have the common denominator I continue to talk about- equinus. Yes, calves that are silently too tight can cause all that and they do. So, the exercise is stretch your calves. Believe it and be patient and you will not be disappointed.
To be honest, I do not quite understand mechanically how the earth shoe might help anyone, at least in the short run, but I know it has helped some of my patients. I could see that in the long term a negative heel shoe might stretch the calf, but minimally. Having said that, keep wearing them for short term help.
Fungal nails is another mystery, which of course makes me angry. I do not have a secret sauce.
Stretch, stretch stretch!
Stay healthy, my friends,
AO
I have plantar fasciitis and have been seeing a PT. He’s been having me do some calf stretching (not your kind, against a wall – a straight leg calf stretch and a bent leg calf stretch), calf raises, and balancing on one leg. The balancing is because he suspects the PF has something to do with over-pronation while running, so the balancing is to have me focus on standing on one leg without my ankle rolling in.
These things have been helping but I’ve also started your stretching protocol in addition to these things. My question had to do with the over-pronation I mentioned. When I do your stretch, with the arch on the stair, it feels like I can get a deeper stretch if I let my foot pronate but my instincts tell me I should keep my foot in a more neutral position. Any thoughts on this?
I have plantar fasciitis which a PT suggested may have been caused by over-pronation while running. He prescribed calf stretching against the wall (both straight leg and bent knee stretching) as well as calf raises. He also has me practicing balancing on one foot, focusing on not letting my ankle roll in.
I’ve recently started your trying your stretching method as well and I was wondering if it matters whether I let my feet pronate while I stretch. It feels like I can get a better stretch if I pronate a bit while stretching but if my problem does have something to do with over-pronation then I’m wondering if I want to do this stretch with my feet in a more neutral position?
Hi Eric,
Podiatrist and PTs are fixated on pronation, and I do not know why. Generally speaking, flexible flatfeet or pronation is part of our anatomy, some more, some less and some not at all and that can’t be recouped except with surgery, which is silly and dangerous, unless there are significant symptoms (entirely different subject and discussion). Here is the thing, equinus or calves too tight is the primary driver increasing pronation or the forces of pronation. So, definitely stretch those calves, my way. I would focus on just the stair stretch. The soleus, bent knee stretch is a wast eof time and will not address your problem.
So, don’t be concerned with pronation while stretching, just let it happen. Furthermore, attempts to force a normal arch, reduce pronation with the balancing or intrinsic strengthening, or other maneuvers is just busy work and will not be of benefit. Keep your eye on just one ball- equinus. You are feeling the stretch and that is where the money is Eric.
Keep it simple my friend.
Stay healthy, my friends,
AO
Thanks for the reply. One more question … my plantar fasciitis showed up after an injury while back squatting. I went down on a back squat and I felt a pain on the outside of my leg a little bit below the knee cap (near the head of the fibula). For a few weeks I couldn’t squat (bodyweight or otherwise) … any time I went below parallel I had pain in that same area on the outside of the knee.
Squatting down hurt. Getting up out of chairs hurt. That took about 3 weeks of rest (no squatting, no running) to get better. After that I started running again … my knee was fine but my foot started hurting after running. The pain wasn’t bad at first but it gradually got worse and worse until I decided I needed to go see the PT.
Knowing that background info, does that change anything? Would you still point to equinus as my main issue?
Eric,
First of all, the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is all that is needed to know that equinus is the root cause. Equinus is the only cause, in my opinion. For some reason my colleagues love to make things way more complicated. Pity.
That story only makes one more sure that equinus is the problem and calf stretching the solution.
Please have a look as to why your “down time” accelerated your equinus and thus your plantar fasciitis.
The Gastrocnemius : A New Paradigm for the Human Foot and Ankle
Now you got work to do!
Stay healthy, my friends,
AO