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Exercises / Leg & ankle

3D athlete for the wall calf stretch

Wall calf stretch

  • Stretch
  • Leg & ankle
  • Wall

Straight-knee (gastrocnemius) and bent-knee (soleus) calf stretches. Widely used, but no short-term benefit over sham for plantar heel pain.

Also called gastrocnemius stretch, soleus stretch, runner's stretch.

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Where you stand

No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.

Muscles worked

Filled: primary.

How much

Common clinical dose: 3 × 30-second holds, 1-2 times daily.

Start: Standing, staggered stance

Steps

  1. Stand facing a wall with one foot back, heel down, toes forward.
  2. Lean forward with the back knee straight to stretch the upper calf.
  3. Bend the back knee (heel still down) to stretch the lower calf.

Cues

  • Heel stays down
  • Back foot pointing straight ahead

Common mistakes

  • Heel lifting
  • Foot turned out

Used for

Evidence (2)
References (2)
  1. Neumann DA. Elsevier. Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System: Foundations for Rehabilitation. 3rd ed.
  2. Radford JA, Landorf KB, Buchbinder R, Cook C. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2007;8:36. Effectiveness of calf muscle stretching for the short-term treatment of plantar heel pain: a randomised trial