How to PERMANENTLY Loosen Tight Calves
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ค. 2024
- Learn how to give yourself the best chance to permanently loosen tight calf muscles by not just stretching them effectively, but by going after the underlying cause behind WHY they've become tight in the first place.
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Time Stamps
0:00 Intro
0:57 Cause of Calf Tightness
2:39 Low Back Mobility
4:37 Ankle Joint Mobility
7:15 Gastrocnemius Stretch
9:42 Soleus Stretch
10:49 Foam Roller Calf Mobility
12:45 Role of Posture and Footwear
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#tightcalves #calfstretch #yourwellnessnerd
How did you go? Hope this helps!!
You forget, not everybody has waits that they can hook the band too. So what do you do I have nothing in my house that I can put my band connected to that. I know of and uses dismiss it
@@1conniequinnAnything heavy enough with something to attach to I guess? The leg of a couch or bed works.
You can tie it to something sturdy, leg of furniture. @@1conniequinn
@@1conniequinn Calf stiffness is the least of your problems if you can't figure that out for yourself.
There’s plenty of options if people need to get creative. Tree trunks, fence posts, veranda posts, bed legs, couch legs etc.
In my opinion, this is the most important kind of knowledge that ppl in the US & modern world need the most. I wish we were all taught about physiotherapy from an early age.
I’m probably biased but the answers to most people’s issues aren’t more complicated but more simple and a return to the basics.
That idea of tensing in a stretched position for 5 seconds or so and then relaxing that muscle and sinking deeper into the stretch immediately, rinse amd repeat..is life changing information. It almost feels like a "cheat code" for the body's flexibility system. It's incredible. I discovered it accidentally a few years ago when attempting to learn how to do splits. It worked for that too
It’s criminally underrated despite the fact that’s it’s been around for decades!
Contract-relax technique...
I learned this in yoga. Match this with breathing and it will change your life.
@@brett7011 🤓
Pnf streching
I really like the way this is presented. You’re teaching the viewer not only the movement but also a basis to why the muscle is tight in the first place and how the nervous system interacts with it. You explain in simple terms that makes it accessible to anyone that comes across the video. Great content!!
Appreciate the feedback Roman, hope it helps!
I really admire the work you do. I've put up with a horrendous back for 45 years -- I'm sure I've spent 5 years of my life limping with sciatica. I took a bad fall at 14. Broke my coccyx, bruised the SI, threw my hips out of whack, twisted my back. But I was a rough-and-tumble kid so I got up and got on with it. I saw professional in every field just to get a diagnosis, let alone treatment. Nothing. Six years ago i said to myself, you're not broken, you're not deformed, you're not diseased -- there's every reason to think a healthy musculature wouldn't help pull the body together. I'm sure I've averaged 2 hours a day. It's hard to believe but during the covid shutdown I rode a small t'ai chi ball for 6 1/2 hours one day. The things you are showing me are tremendously beneficial. Thanks, mate...
Really happy to hear that Mike! Keep working hard mate, there’s always improvements to be made!
Good for you, Mike! Your story is inspiring! We have to be our own physician it seems!
way to go! I had bad sciatica last year (in my 30s - was my wedding year). Was so much pain I couldn't walk and actually walked with a cane. Now I'm never having that happened again. Sitting is a silent killer I think (or standing for far too long).
@@ajsingh1296 I simply said to myself, "I am not diseased, I am not disabled, I am not broken -- there is no reason why I cannot get back to normal if I stretch and strengthen the musculature of the body. I've spent at least an hour a day -- 1800 hours in 5 years -- stretching and strengthening -- almost every bit of it has been while I was on the floor. Like most mornings these days, I woke up today and instead of grief and pain I glided to the kitchen pain free. You should have seen me running for my bus the other day! Life is good -- and I'll never suffer from sciatica again. cheers, brother...
So how’s your back now in 2024, compared to 4 years ago? I’ve been dealing with back issues for a long time now too. From sports to lifting, my hips are tight my back is all messed up. Trying to figure out a remedy but it’s a journey
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I want to understand the why the root cause. This makes so much sense! I’ve been to PT, Chiro, podiatry for right calves, foot pain, tendinitis in the ankle, SI instability. No one was seeing the big picture and making these connections. Thank you!!! You are brilliant. If you have time I’d love to connect with some specific questions.
Great to hear Ashlea! Feel free to reach out to me at contact@yourwellnessnerd.com
I have been battling knee issues and tight ankles for close to 3 years and never in all the PT I did, kinesitherapy, osteo or anything my problem progressed towards a solution faster than it has after trying out the stretches in your video! I had a bunion forming on my left big toe and all the toe strengthening in the world did not manage to unlock the joint like the gastrocenemius and soleus stretches. I went deep in there and I felt the inside of my foot like I never have and it's such a relief I'm crying. This is giving me so much hope that if I keep at it, tackling the roots of my issues, I won't have knee pain as much anymore. I didn't know when I would see the day I'll have mobility in my foot again. This is seriously a game changer ! Who knew it had little to do with the calf at all ?? I was strengthening it like crazy to support my weak feet, and all this time it was a combination of the back and ankle. Thank you for the work you are doing, truly appreciate it !!
Amazing Winnie, thanks for sharing! I’m really happy the video resonated with you and sounds like it’s had a big impact. Good luck getting on top of it. Feel free to pop back in and let me know how it’s been going!!
Strengthening systems that are already overactive/tight and often the exact opposite of what we need. A great example are people with chronic back pain who try to strengthen the lower back repeatedly and just put themselves in spasm. They are likely taking muscles that are already contracted to near spasm, and then tightening them further. The brain tightens/creates tension in systems to answer a problem. AKA the brain can not use the proper systems to stabilize so it must fire compensatory systems to make up for this lack of stability/strength. If you take the example of someone post car accident/trauma, the brain tightens/locks the side of the body (at a muscular level) that was impacted. This is done without our awareness and at a nervous system level. This consistent tension absolutely alters muscle balance and even activation patterns and sequencing of muscles. Hope this helps!
Thank you!!! I've been having extremely tight calves and hamstrings my whole life.
Recently I started to do my own target stretches then googling till I figured out what is the muscles in that area and what they do and find track down the root of my lifelong issues.
This is how I found you and my psoas muscle.
I'm shocked that everything I learned from my own experimental stretches and research even my past issues with my back you mentioned all of it !!!!
Wish I would have found you first, but At least I know I was on the right track.
Glad you’ve since found us though! Hope it does help!!
I’m sure wearing high heels daily for so many years has not helped. This is something I need to do often, these are good tips and I’ve learned some new ones. I was always told I needed fancy sneakers to help the situation but once I went to completely flat sneakers that made a big difference, I no longer have the pain I used to have in my knees and hips.
I had tight calf muscles forever. They always looked bulky and I hated them so much. Now in my 40s I was dealing with Morton’s neuroma and bunionettes last year. I joined a gym, worked on mobility, leg stretches and strength and now all those problems are gone.
🤓
I suffered from this also.. flares up once every while..
Do you have wide toe box shoes now?
@cholita.1979 I may have the same issues as you. Do you mind sharing what type of gym exercises you did?
8:30 hopefully works for me.
@@oliviade5048 hope it does too!
really love your videos and the amount of details and depth it has! def need more views🙌🏼🙌🏼💯
Awesome to hear! Hope it helps!!
Extremely knowledgeable and well said
Appreciate it mate, hope it really helps you!
Excellent video. Made me ponder about a bunch of things.
Keep it up mate.
Appreciate it Ivan. Glad it resonated with you!
A lot of good info fast. I subscribed.
Glad it resonated mate and welcome aboard!
Very helpful. Very well done. Thank you!
Appreciate the kind words mate! Hope it helped!
bravo, just fixed my whole calves in 15 minutes
Hope it did help mate
Excellent video, really beneficial and informative
Glad to hear it may have resonated Daniel!
Will try that later today. Great Video.
Hope it helps mate, feel free to let me know how you go!
Legend, thanks for sharing knowledge
Glad it resonated mate!
Very informative video, I've never heard anyone speak about it like this. And I've had tight calfs since I was a child, been to different practitioners to try and fix it but no one ever talked about it coming from my back or anything other than the foot
Hi Hannah, I hope the tips in the video and genuinely help you find that potential missing piece of the puzzle. I’m really passionate about trying to understand the root cause of why things happen to the body, and over the last 20 years, my clinical experience has shown me just how important, and criminally underrated the spine is in all of this stuff!
This video was very helpful. Thank you so much for making this video.
You’re welcome, Brian! I’m happy to hear it may have resonated with you!
Very helpful, thanks for your help.
Glad it helped!
Thank you love the info 😊
I hope it’s helpful, Leah!
thankyou for sharing your experience !!!! thankyou for giving me steps towards bettering my calves !!!
You’re welcome! Hope it helps!
❤ you gained a subscriber this is awesome. I’ve been addicted to cardio for years (running 9 plus miles a day until my overuse injury last fall). I’m now prioritizing stretching and strength with my cardio! I found out with my body I have to. Thanks so much.
Welcome aboard Amelia! Glad the video resonated!
This is terrific. I definitely felt better after stretching/releasing my lower back.
Awesome to hear mate! Glad it helped!
😊thank you this was very informative and i could feel the exercises working . I have always had very muscular claves from dancing and gymnastics when i was young . Now in my 60s I’m in constant pain and it affects my walking , i love hiking and attempting challenging trails . Will keep persevering with this routine.
Hope it helps Debbie!
Excellent advice. Tightening and then relaxing the muscles while stretching on a step did wonders for my acute problem. Thank you.
Awesome to hear!
Thank you for the great explanation, I could never get relief in my calves, this makes so much sense.
Really hope the information in the video does genuinely help you, Cristina!
Great content - I've wondered why I have tight calf muscles for many years and these excercises are helping immediately.
Great Robert!
thank you so much, no idea how much this is helped me get moving again
Glad it sounds like it may have helped Gareth!
This was amazing. I did this for the first time today before a sprint workout and it is the best my calves have felt in years! Thank you so much
That’s awesome to hear mate! Really happy to hear it was so impactful!
one of the best self care videos i've seen. I've always known part of my problem was ankle mobility. The band mobility stretch is what I've been looking for!
Really happy to hear it resonated Jacob! Hope the BAS hits the spot!
Thanks buddy. Really thanks.❤
Hope it helped!
Mate, thanks so much for this video. I'm trying to get back into running and my calves are ridiculously tight and i keep pulling them. These exercises have made immediate difference to slacken them off. Thank you! Subbed 👍
Awesome to hear David! Welcome aboard!
Excellent presentation, having suffered from tight calfs all my running life the excercises will be most helpful
Hope it was helpful Peter!
Have soleus muscle pain...over did biking! Ugh has been tight
thank you for this video!
Hope it helps!
So helpful thanks. My ankle, calf, and thigh muscle all have a fairly permanent cramp or tightness. I will work on them to see if they will relax.
Hope the tips were helpful Loren!
I recently had a really bad high ankle sprain. While in a boot and in recovery I gained 17 lbs. I also have a mild scoliosis. My ankle is almost back to normal but I have a ton of stiffness due to the sprain. I am back at the gym and have begun my training again to drop the excess weight. What I recently noticed is the severity of the tightness in my calves. I will try this video today for relief because nothing else seems to help. 🙏🏽 than you for this video
Hope it does help Esme!
This is legitimately fascinating, I’m a photographer and mostly shoot on tripod so bending forward. O shoot video using a gimbal too which gives me back ache, then I’m editing sat down a lot too. I get a lot of tight calf issues and poor ankle mobility issues, my calf’s ache when I go bare foot. I wonder if I have back issues from all this that is causing calf and ankle tightness!! I’ll try this technique to see if it helps!
Glad to hear it may have resonated with you Steve! Hope it helps you get to source of those issues!
I always appreciate your videos for your exlanations to get to the root of the problem. I'll try to keep this short - when I was a kid, I inhaled a tooth which had to be extracted via thoracotomy on my right side. That was a few decades ago so the incision/scarring crudely wraps around my rib cage. I have lots of muscle/nerve pain problems on my right side from my neck to my rt SI joint and down my leg which I attribute to this. When I perform the foam rolling on my back as described in the video, the area of the spine immediately adjacent to the scar is tender and painful. An xray from years ago shows the spine curving toward the scar which is tight. My PTs have always focused on the symptoms rather than what I think is the root problem. Any advice? Thank you!
Maybe look into DMSO or castor oil to soften up scar tissue
I have a bulging disc with arthritis that has resulted in painful sciatica running from my ischial area down to the outside of my leg. I've been working on calf raises this week n noticed i started getting sciatica running down the center back of my hamstring to my calf area for the first time. I couldn't even swim my laps tonight or walk in the pool without my calf tingling n hurting. I never realized my calf was connected to my spinal condition. Thank you for explaining. I realize i need to go slower on strengthening my calves.
Good luck with your progress Mary!
Thank you I have big fatty calves that are always tight this will help!
Hope it does help mate!
The best things that helped me.
Stand facing the wall with toes 6” from wall. Keep heel of your feet in contact with floor at all times. Squat and try to touch your knees to the wall. Keep heel down while squatting knees forward.
This method of pushing knees forward toward the wall is better than other methods.
Also, Chiropractic hip and low back adjustments have helped align my low back and circulation. Feels so good and noticeable improvement.
Glad you’re seeing improvements mate!
ill try!!!
Hope it helps!
Godbless you sir.
Hope it helps!
2:33 this is awesome . Just getting started here after a lifetime of tight muscles and some of it sounds like voodoo. But this speaks to me
Awesome Bill! Hope it really helps!
Thank you. You mentioned few posible reasons why my calves are tjght and walking painful. 1st beeing IKEA chair
Hope it helps you piece things together!
Great video. I had a fib/tib break over 10 years ago. Still have limited ankle mobility in dorsiflexion. Do you think this routine would help break through scar tissue or whatever issues I still have?
It’s hard to say mate without assessing you for myself. If indicated and safe, for people it’s a matter of having a go and seeing where they land with things. At the very least the results will help better inform each person of what might be holding them back.
I have had tight calve muscles since I was a kid tried all kinds of exercises including the ones from podiatry. Hopefully these help because its really effecting me now been told by podiatry is because my right leg is tighter and one leg is now shorter.
Hope the video does help Rebecca!
Hi cannot do the foot dip on step goes into plantar
Thanks, this is very helpful. I am unable to do the step over hang move because my calf tightness gives me pain in the balls of my feet. You mentioned doing something different on the floor - could you signpost to that variation please? Thanks again.
Hi Debbie! Was this what you were looking for? Calf Stretch - Gastrocnemius
th-cam.com/video/4NUHOCw_XA0/w-d-xo.html. Hope it helps!
Thanks. That's my regular calf stretch.
Here’s a Q for you; how long to transition from a shoe (of any type) with a heel to a flat (no heel drop) shoe, in a moderately trained (running and cycling) individual?
It can take a few weeks depending on the person James. It’s hard to be specific and depends on the quality of someone’s range of motion, strength, and overall function prior to beginning the transition. Ultimately, it should feel that each person genuinely notices things beginning to adapt and improve and that short space of time.
@@YourWellnessNerd thank you!
I have a very mild form of cerebral palsy. The muscles in my right leg are tight by nature. I had Achilles lengthening surgery, but now I have found that the bones in my ankle restricts the range of motion. Even with a angle board I cannot stretch the Gastroc muscle enough.
Obviously, cerebral palsy does present its own unique challenges to lengthening tight tissue. I do hope that the tips and the video to provides some help for you michael!
this is probably the issue for me (low back dysfunction), except it's almost definitely caused by my scoliosis, which makes the foam rolling bit painful as the bone juts out a bit too much
Always important to find an object that feels respectful to your specific spine!
My calves tighten up (ane cramp HEAVILY) while running on a treadmill.
Interestingly, it seems to be my Soleus that's the most tight.
I'm not overly heavy (muscular build, about 16-18% bf), so I heavily suspect it has to either do with the way I run or the shoes I use
Hope the tips help you figure out those issues, mate!
So I have been dealing with a lot of knee pain, apparently I tore the madiscus (sp?). I been going to pt for 6 weeks my knee is lots better, now realizing my calf is Rock hard, and driving is painful. I stumbled upon your video walked through the steps now I find I have great deal of pain coming from back side of Lower thigh. Where do I go from here?
I can’t give you specific advice over the internet unfortunately Joan. From a general perspective, a lot of lower limb aches, pains, and tightnesses can be related to specific lower back dysfunction as its origin. For many, it’s worth continuing to look there even just to rule that out.
I feel like i struggle with my right as it feels like when you over bend your wrist but at the front of my foot. That band one almost made it feel more noticeable, even when i stop the exercise. Do you know why it could be like that and is it fixable? Appreciate any feed back.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to say without assessing you for myself Ashley. Clinically be very interested in assessing how stiff your ankle joint might be to see if it might be impinging at the front. I’d also be very interested in saying how tight The muscles are that run across the front of your ankle from your shin and those on the inside, outside, and back of your calf. If there are some relatively hidden restrictions, then frame them up might provide relief.
I have bug calf’s that look good and I do play a lot of football and I was always riding a bike and I thought that’s why but now I have sciatica and I’ve also been seeing a ankle specialist with ankle problems which I’m now learning that they could both be causing my calf to look this good haha, might calf’s are tight but I’ve never found it to be a problem, I really want to adress the ankle and back issues though and that might help my calfs but I’m not to bothered about my calf’s unless they are causing ankle and back pain?
Hi Casey, from a general perspective calf muscle tightness and dysfunction is often a symptom of something else. In my experience as I mentioned in the video it can often have something to do with ankle joints restrictions and potentially lower back dysfunction. So in a way you may not have to focus on the calf tightness itself but going after any ankle and back dysfunction you may be dealing with my ultimately make those calves feel and function better if it’s all connected.
So when I put my calf on a roller it’s sooooo sensitive. I take it as it’s tight? Over worked? Really tender. I guess the more I foam roll the easier it will get ya? Awesome channel mate !
Hey Chris! The tenderness can mean a few things but essentially it’s always important to respect how sensitive it feels and work within that. Sensitivity can often be a signal from the spine and I would normally ask my patients to go after any spinal stiffness first and then come back to any rolling after.
@@YourWellnessNerd thanks mate. Will do. I’ve tried that lower back foam rolling technique u mention. I’m 48, go to the gym quite a bit so I consider myself “ok” lol… but when I do that roll I feel stiff as a board. Like I’m holding my breath and just not so flexible like you are. I guess like anything gotta get into a habit of doing it. Have a history of tight hip flexors, pelvic floor etc.
I had horrible foot pain that my physical therapist discovered my L4-6 was out and I had a super tight bunch of muscles in my bum.
Glad they got to the bottom of it all!
And what if one has osteoporosis in the lower back?One could not use that foam roller, or?
It’s a great question. It’s certainly something you would need to speak with someone about to figure out what’s appropriate. It may mean less foam roller more active stretching to open up any rusty joints.
I would add, my understanding is that osteo arthritis is caused by chronic pressure. If the pressure is tightness, stretching could help prevent further development.
So can lower back arthritis cause tight calves.which than can lead to planter fasaciitis?😢. Likely a chain reaction 😮
Mechanically it can work out that way, but there doesn’t have to be arthritis, just mechanical dysfunction
I don’t really understand the first part with the foam roller and your back…..it just feels ridiculously uncomfortable and intense to hold any position in that way, let alone relax and let stretch settle in lol….do you do this all along your back or just the middle?
It can be performed anywhere that feels tight and restricted. It’s important to find an entry level that feels comfortable and not overwhelming.
Something you can try is strengthen your abdominal bracing in that position and think of "see-saw"ing the contraction (similar to what he mentions in this video about holding a position and tensing the muscles in end range of motion for few seconds, relax, and repeat. Add accessories like pillow under neck or block initially if really uncomfortable, but not painful. Hope it helps
This info sounds good but the editing makes me feel like I'm hallucinating. It keeps jumping. I know it was a youtube technique many years ago but this is mental
or is it me?
Appreciate the feedback mate, always looking to improve the presentation
Can being flat-flooted cause tight calves?
There does seem to be a link there. The question is often why are someone’s feet flat in the first place!
Now what about shin tightness..?
I have some videos on shin issues if you’re happy to check them out!
My Achilles tendonitis is due to this.
Hope the tips in the video help that Achilles too!
W Nerd
🤓
I feel I can not focus on what this guy is saying. What the heck is he talking about for 17 minutes? I just was trying to search how to stretch my calves, and now I feel completely lost. Who am I?
Hopefully you’re someone with looser calves!
I worked out calves last week and 2 days later i could only walk on my toes in the house. Previously it never got that bad.
Hope the video helps mate!
Please, please, PLEASE stop this TikTok nonsense of adding bouncy subtitles to videos! It's extremely distracting and it's overwhelming to those of us who are autistic.
I hear you. I’ve tried to cut back in recent videos to just the opening words for those who see the preview without sound
Can you please for the love of God stop with those green highlighted subtitles? It is just so annoying I can't read the tezt anymore.
Hope the video was helpful beyond the initial subtitles mate!
@@YourWellnessNerd For sure. Thanks 😉
Tight calves = weak calves
Not necessarily! Strength is an important piece to consider though.
Hard disagree- often the relatively strong muscles overcompensate for nonfunctionally weak muscles, Thus becoming tighter. People have tight upper traps because they have weak serratus and rhomboids, and thus get chonkier even more rounded shoulders that carry even more responsibilities-- starting to aid breathing, etc.
Sprinters and dancers are required to have strong calves...which sets their calves up to carry even more of the responsibility of body stability if they have poor core bracing or ankle flexibility/range or any other nonoptimal balance deficiencies. Which makes the calves even stronger from increased time under tension...and even more tight
@@stephaniefronkkonneker9614 I should have said my personal experience has been that tight muscles = weak muscles. I was stretching my hip flexors for years with little improvement. When I started strengthening them, the tightness went away.
Misleading. It’s not permanent. Tissues can always become tight again. This is a lifelong routine.
The point is to find something that helps free you up, and then make sure you get to the underlying physical and environmental causes that created it in the first place.
Your sentences are contradictory. Tissue *can* tighten up again. Using the word 'can' means otherwise tissue can remain elastic forever.
Compartment syndrome from the ankle to the knee, but especially in the calves. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Imagine walking around like each leg weighs about 100 pounds apiece.
Good luck with your recovery mate!