5 exercises to strengthen your calves
What's the story
Strengthening your calves is key to improving balance, enhancing athletic performance, and preventing injuries.
The calf muscles are involved in daily activities like walking, running, and jumping.
Integrating certain exercises into your routine can help you build these muscles the right way.
Here are five exercises that target the calves and give you both strength and endurance benefits.
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Standing calf raises
Standing calf raises are a basic exercise for targeting the calf muscles.
To do this exercise, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and slowly raise your heels off the ground until you're standing on your toes.
Hold the position for a brief moment before lowering back down.
This movement helps in building muscle mass and increasing strength in the calves.
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Seated calf raises
Seated calf raises target the soleus muscle of the calves.
You can sit on a chair or bench with your feet resting flat on the floor.
Add some resistance by placing weights or resistance bands across your knees.
Raise your heels up as high as you can while keeping the balls of your feet on the ground, and lower them back down slowly.
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Jump rope exercise
Jump rope exercises also provide an amazing cardiovascular workout while strengthening the calves at the same time.
Simply grab a jump rope with handles at either end and swing it over your head while you jump over it with both feet together.
This will not just improve your calf strength but also your coordination and agility.
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Box jumps
Box jumps are an explosive exercise that work several lower body muscles, including calves.
Stand in front of a sturdy box or platform at least knee high, or higher if you are comfortable enough to do so safely (without the risk of injury involved here).
Jump onto it using both legs simultaneously, landing softly upon arrival atop the surface area provided thereon.
Step back down again carefully afterward, repeating the process accordingly thereafter too!
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Donkey calf raises
Donkey calf raises need support from another person or equipment (gym machines) made for it.
Lean forward against something stable (like a wall surface), placing hands firmly upon it while bending knees slightly forward toward the ground below.
Get a partner to apply pressure downward onto the hip region above the waistline (just behind the backside), thereby creating resistance needed during the upward motion phase involved therein throughout the entire duration.