Lower Leg Stretching Exercises

The following exercise will stretch and mobilise the thigh muscles. Click on the links below to see more detail on muscles stretched, teaching points, variations, and related injuries.

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Shin Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Kneel with your shins flat on the ground
  • Sit back on your heels, slowly increasing the pressure
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Variations

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Advanced Shin Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Kneel with your shins flat on the ground
  • Place your hands on the floor next to your knees
  • Raise your knees off the floor, keep your heels and knees together and feet on the floor
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Variations

  • Shin stretch

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Standing Shin Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Stand with your toes of the left foot on the floor on the outside of your right foot
  • Bend the right leg to push your ankle towards the ground
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds
  • Swap legs!

Variations

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Gastrocnemius Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Stand with one leg far in front of the other
  • Keep the back heel flat on the floor
  • Bend the front leg and keep the back leg straight
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Variations

  • Perform the same stretch in front of a wall
  • Place your hands on the wall, lean forwards and push against the wall

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Advanced Gastrocnemius Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Stand on a step with only the toes supported
  • Drop the heels off the back of the step, keeping the knee straight
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Variations

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Soleus Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Stand with one leg in front of the other close to a wall
  • Place your hands on the wall and lean forwards
  • Bend both knees, trying to touch the front knee on the wall
  • Keep the heel down
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Variations

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Advanced Soleus Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Stand with the toes of the front foot on a step and the knee bent
  • Lean forwards, putting your weight on the front leg and dropping the heel off the step
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Variations

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Peroneal Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Sit in a chair with one ankle resting on the other knee
  • With your hands, point the foot (plantarflex) and turn the sole of the foot upwards (invert)
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Foot & Ankle

Plantar Fascia Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Sit on the floor with the knee bent and the heel on the floor
  • Pull up on your toes to stretch the arch of the foot
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

Foot and Toe Stretch

Teaching Points

  • Kneel on the floor with one foot flat and the other arched
  • Move the lower knee towards the ground
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Muscles Stretched

Related Injuries

External links

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