What are some recommended exercises you can do with a torn calf muscle?
Your calf muscle is located just behind your shin bone. Like other muscles, a tear or rupture may occur if you haven’t properly conditioned yourself prior to intense physical activity. It’s also common in people over the age of 40 with weakened calf muscles and for athletes who do sudden jumping or changes in direction needed in sports like basketball and tennis.
Many people who have suffered a torn calf muscle want to know how quickly they can begin exercising and exactly what they’ll be capable of. The good news is that you can start working out as soon as you feel up to it, even though it might be a bit more difficult for a while.
To help you get through it, we’re going to give you some of our favorite exercises for a torn calf muscle that will help with the healing and strengthening process.
What Happens When You Get a Torn Calf Muscle?
Tearing a calf muscle is a pretty common injury, but that certainly won’t make you feel better when it happens. At the moment that your calf muscle tears, you’ll feel a sudden, intense pain. After that, you could have a lot of trouble walking or putting any weight on your leg. The good news is that calf muscle tears require minimal treatment to heal in most cases.
The Best Exercises You Can Do
We always recommend that you work closely with a holistic fitness trainer to determine the best exercises for a torn calf muscle that will work for you. However, here are a few simple ones that you can do until you get in touch with a trainer:
Calf Wall Stretch
The calf wall stretch is one of the easiest exercises that you can do with a torn calf muscle. Face a wall and place your hands on it at about eye level. Move your injured leg a step behind your good leg. With your affected leg straight and your heel on the floor, bend the knee of your good leg and gently move your hip and chest toward the wall. When you feel your injured calf stretch, hold it for 15–30 seconds. Repeat the exercise 2–4 more times.
Note: You can do a variation of the stretch where you bend both of your knees before moving your hips and chest toward the wall.
Bilateral Calf Stretch
Set a sizable book on the floor close to a wall or something that you can hold on to that will give you a little support. Place the balls of your feet on the book and your heels on the floor. With your knees straight, lean forward, slowly lifting your heels and putting the weight on the balls of your feet until you feel a gentle stretch. If there’s no stretch, then you need to get a thicker book. Larger books, such as a phone book, dictionary, or encyclopedia, will give you a better stretch. No matter what you’re using, hold the stretch for 15–30 seconds and repeat it 2-4 more times.
Note: For a little variety, you can perform the stretch with either your knees straight or bent.
Single Leg Balance
This is one of the easiest exercises for a torn calf muscle, but you need to have a bit of balance. What you’re basically going to do is attempt to stand on one leg without using any kind of support. Many people have less trouble doing this when their eyes are closed, so start with your eyes open and then close them if balancing is too difficult. For each leg, try to hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat 2-4 more times. It will obviously be much more difficult to balance on your leg with the injured calf, but try your best.
Towel Stretch
Sit on the floor with your injured leg stretched in front of you. Take a towel and loop it around the ball of your foot. Next, pull the towel toward you, knee straight, until you feel a stretch in your calf. Hold for 15–20 seconds, then release. Repeat this simple exercise 2–4 more times.
Contact Dunedin Fitness and Movement to Learn More Exercises for a Torn Calf Muscle
Dunedin Fitness and Movement can help you with a variety of exercises for a torn calf muscle and other types of injuries. If you have any questions about our facility or would like to sign up with a personal trainer in Dunedin, call our trainer at (727) 755-3485 today.
