Tight Calves

[Catrin]

I had wondered how long lactic acid sticks around - and they always get sore during rest weeks - calves and one hamstring One of my "corrective exercises" given me at my new gym is a "search and destroy" on my calves with the massage stick...I now have one at home. My trainer/coach seems to think that this is the second most important out of the 6 correctives they have given me. Part of their fitness assessment is to determine those areas in which we need strengthening or to pay extra attention...

If the wind allows I hope to go on an easy ride tomorrow and will try to remember to pay attention to what my feet are doing. I also need to get into the habit of applying the stick every exercise or ride day...

Thanks all!

[Catrin]

Found this link to a group of stretches for tight calves, I will try some of these out after intense activities.

[Catrin]

Thanks Murienn - I think I will work on putting together a thread that references all of the various discussions and links on stretching like you have for saddle information. This would be helpful to many of us I think.

[OakLeaf]

Just don't neglect your feet. If you have congenitally weird feet plus a history of injury (same as me, except I've had only soft tissue injuries), that's MORE reason to work on strength, mobilization and proprioception of all the dozens of muscles and joints in the feet. If the foundation is off, the whole chain will be off.

[Catrin]

Just don't neglect your feet. If you have congenitally weird feet plus a history of injury (same as me, except I've had only soft tissue injuries), that's MORE reason to work on strength, mobilization and proprioception of all the dozens of muscles and joints in the feet. If the foundation is off, the whole chain will be off.

Duly noted, and I've never thought about that! It makes sense...

[Catrin]

For some reason I've been resistant to adding to my usual set of stretches that came out of spinning class. Those are good starts but it's been proved I need more than that. It is time to change that, I really want a season with no injury that is preventable. Actually I had that last year - no over-use injuries - but if I am already noting tight muscles this early in the season it is time for another approach.

I think that compiling and posting the assorted links and stretch-related discussions found on TE for a general post will help me put all this together in my head and hopefully help someone else at the same time.

[klesko]

I have achilles and plantar fascitis issues and the single thing that helps me is stretching my calves every morning. I just do a simple lean on the foot of the bed and do it feet straight forward and another set with toes pointed in. My podiatrist told me to do it both ways and the calf stretch with toes pointed in really helps me. I did calf raises for a while but those are too aggressive for my achilles tendon.