Stretch of the Week: Wall Calf Stretch

It’s week 3 of loving our calves, and this week is one of my favorite stretches! I call this the Wall Calf Stretch. It’s slightly an inversion (upside down) so please be careful if you have a blood pressure issue or get vertigo easily. For the Wall Calf Stretch you’ll  probably need a little wall space. 🙂

 How to do the Wall Calf Stretch:

1. Find some clear wall space and stand a foot or so away, facing it.
2. Start to walk your hands down the wall, tucking you chin towards your chest as you go, see photo 1.
3. Walk your hands all the way down until you reach the floor, photo 2. You can bend your knees as you come down.
4. Place the upper back and back of the head on the wall once you get both hands on the floor as in photo 3.
5. Try to aim for the space between the shoulder blades to rest on the wall. The wall will support you so don’t be afraid.
6. Once you have that on the wall, start to straighten your legs any amount you can, to get a stretch in the calves. What I commonly see here is the bottom right photo; just the crown of the head on the wall, the feet staggered and bent. When people get upside they tend to get disoriented, so make sure you have your feet together and the upper back/shoulders on the wall, not just the head. Keep your finger tips on the floor for support.

Tip: the closer the feet are to the wall the more intense the stretch. Try to come to a point where the legs are straight. That might mean walking the feet further away from the wall, that’s ok. You will probably feel this in your hamstrings too!

Stay here for 30 seconds to a minute, or longer if you like! To come out of the stretch walk your hands back up the wall with the chin tucked, same way you went into it. Watch your head! Then rest your forehead on the wall until you feel orientated again.

Email me if you have any questions! Rlackowski@athletico.com