Though they power most upright movements, the calf muscles are often overlooked in stretching routines. But tight or stiff calves can cause issues across the lower body, from your ankles to your lower back, making even basic daily movements like walking and climbing stairs uncomfortable.
The good news is that even a few minutes a day of moving and stretching your calf muscles can help you stay pain- and injury-free.
The Anatomy of Your Calf
Your calf muscle runs along the back of your lower leg, from behind your knee to the back of your ankle. It’s made up of two main muscles: the gastrocnemius and the soleus. A smaller muscle, called the plantaris, runs between the gastrocnemius and soleus and connects to your Achilles tendon. (FYI: Around ten percent of people do not have a plantaris muscle.)
The Achilles tendon, which connects your heel bone to the gastrocnemius and soleus, runs from the heel to the middle of your calf.
Working together, the Achilles and the muscles of your calf are responsible for plantarflexion—when the toes point down and away from the leg (as if you’re pushing your foot down…
