Feb 06 , 2023
A runner can truly understand the pain of sore calves after an intense and tiring running session. There is an incredible amount of impact received by the calves and quad muscles with each stride. Although running is known for strengthening lower body, few of its negative aspects must be considered.
Calf pain is a common thing that runners experience either during or after a run. In today’s post, we will give a runner’s guide to taking care of calves with a proper explanation. These tips will let you understand plenty of exciting stuff that can be very useful for the body!
Calf Strengthening Exercises
Many believe that strong calves are the only way to prevent any injury. It must be understood that calves exercises need to perform regularly for protecting the lower body completely. To make calf stronger, it is critical to perform strengthening exercises.
Think about adding jumping ropes to your exercise schedule as it strengthens the calves and works as a great cardiovascular ability. However, it is strongly recommended to land on the toes rather than flat feet while performing this activity to prevent injury.
Other exercises helpful in improving strength are high knees and ankle knee pushes. These basic exercises must be added to the training schedule two or three times a week. It will make the calves super strong and ready for upcoming training sessions.
Warm-up Before Running
Pre-run warm-ups are the premier activity that all world-class athletes perform before starting the running session. Technology has even made jobs easier with the invention of machines like LegFlex, mainly created for calf stretching.
It is incredible for making short-term motion range better and boosting blood circulation in the legs. This machine can give excellent warm-ups and minimize muscle soreness to a greater level. Additionally, it works wonderfully to avoid conditions like Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendinitis, which are pretty common problems among runners.
Most athletes recommend warm-up for at least 3 minutes before starting running. The presence of this machine can allow this warm-up to complete with ease. There won’t be any need for keeping too much accessories for completing this task.
Regular Calf Massage
If you have checked the interviews of a few well-known runners, they have always emphasized calf massage. It is essential to give a massage to calves for increasing flexibility. Athletes of all levels prefer to massage their lower body for relaxing.
It is a perfect choice for boosting tissue elasticity and relieving muscle tightness, which can be very useful during running. Additionally, runners feel increased blood circulation due to the manipulation of soft tissues during the calf massage.
The improved range of motion allows them to feel fully relaxed after tough running sessions. It is even reported that weekly calf massages can help faster recovery from injuries. It gives incredible strength to the lower part of the body.
Preventing and Treating Tight Calf Muscles
A very common issue runners faces is tightness in the calf muscles. Although it is suggested to prevent this issue as much as possible, giving proper treatment is extremely important if its symptoms arise in the body.
It can be prevented by preparing the lower body in advance by performing simple stretches. This simple activity keeps the muscles supple and minimize excessive contraction as much as possible. On the other hand, it needs to be understood that running is a high-impact exercise that causes repetitive stress on the calves.
It can cause tightness in the calves during running with other symptoms like muscle cramps and dehydration. This condition can be treated by stretching on both sides and avoiding bouncing during this process. Also, it is strongly suggested never to rush on the stretches in upcoming running sessions.
To Conclude
Runners often have to experience sore muscles that affect their running ability. Keeping a few simple measures cannot only prevent injuries but also helps make the calves strong. We have tried to give a detailed guide for taking care of calves properly.
There is nothing better than following a disciplined training program with proper measures. Always listen to your body and stretch before starting a running session.
