Recover Faster: Post-run Recovery for Eliminating Calf Pain
- Marie Whitt
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
These are NOT your basic calf stretches.
These are something better.
Do any of these describe you?
your calves don't hurt during your run, but they're sore and achy afterwards
you're often confused why ONE calf hurts and not the other
no matter how much or how aggressively you stretch your calf muscles, the relief doesn't last long
you can't seem to find the perfect stretch that hits this one deep, nagging spot and it's starting to bother you constantly
If these are you, you're not crazy.
And you're not lazy.
Because you've tried all the exercises the rest of the internet has told you to do and they're, well...
disappointing and lackluster.
Because what you may or may not know is, you're calf muscles aren't asking to be stretched.
I know, they feel "tight".
And the first thing we want to do is alleviate it with stretching it.
But here's the catch:
a muscle can feel tight when it's:
injured
weak
protecting itself or a neighboring joint
or when it's been working too hard
Starting to see how tight calf muscles aren't always straight forward?
And to add another layer of complexity, did you know that a tight ankle joint can also feel like you a have a tight calf muscle?
So where are you supposed to even start?
With a simple test.
Because if you're one of the runners described above, don't worry, I'll give answers to why those unique scenarios happen.
But first, you need a place to start: you need to find out whether the tightness you're fighting is from your ankle joint or your calf muscle.
So let's dive in.
POST RUNNING ANKLE TIGHTNESS: IS IT MY CALF OR MY ANKLE JOINT?
TEST: Ankle Dorsiflexion Against the Wall
Unrelentingly tight calves are sometimes caused by tightness in the front of the ankle joint. This test is exactly what I use in the clinic to test that! And the best part: it takes 5 secs, a wall, and your own fingers to track and measure your progress.
It’s also great to do before ANY of your favorite ankle or calf mobility drills so you can accurately tell whether an exercise “worked”...or not.
How do you know whether it's your ankle joint that's tight vs. your calf muscles?
We use my 1-2-3 Finger Rating System:
RED: 3 or more fingers away from the wall.
That unrelenting calf tightness you're feeling is actually coming from your ankle joint and that's why you can't reach the wall
YELLOW: 2 fingers away from the wall. Things are a little stiff. Good thing you’ve got exercises to fix that
GREEN: 0-1 finger away from the wall. Good job! Your ankles are smooth as butter ;)
But what if there's only 1 finger (or even a half finger)? Technically, there could still be some lingering ankle joint tightness, but from years of practicing in the PT clinic treating runners just like you, I've seen 1 finger's width (or less) mean the joint may be slightly stubborn OR the calf muscle could be having some affect on the test.
there's a little bit of a gray area, and that's ok.
Because you will KNOW you're struggling with true muscle tightness if this test is fairly easy for you to complete but that calf tightness is still a giant struggle.
So now what?
POST RUN RECOVERY EXERCISE CIRCUITS: ELIMINATE CALF PAIN FOR GOOD
What would you say to the ultimate tight calf-fixing guide for runners?
...Especially if you're a marathoner who feels constantly sidelined by stiff, painful achilles and tight, injury-prone calves and ankles.
Because I know the first thing you want to do is to fix your tight ankles and calf muscles so you can protect your training cycle and show up to the starting line strong, pain-free, and ready to race.
I've got answers for you.
I've put my BEST ankle mobility drills, calf strength exercises, AND the test from the very beginning of this blog into my NEW, FREE running resource: Calf & Achilles Cure
It's you're one and done cure to eliminate tight calves, prevent repeat or new Achilles issues, and speed up your recovery for good!
WRAPPING UP
Let's talk about those descriptions and questions at the beginning of the blog:
Why do my calves hurt only after my run, but not during it?
This is most likely due muscle fatigue.
When we're exercising, we don't always experience immediate soreness or aching. It's after the strenuous work is done and our body begins repairing itself to get stronger for next time that we begin to feel pain, discomfort, or intense soreness. This is brought on by natural and healthy inflammation which is a normal part of recovery.
Why does only ONE calf hurts and not the other after my runs?
Let me say, I've personally dealt with this one.
The BEST way for you to really SEE what's going on is to do this short challenge: can you do 35 SINGLE leg calf raises on each leg? Beautiful form, not loss on calf raise height, no breaks.
What you may find is 2 different results. If the calf that is tired after your runs is the leg that COULD NOT complete all 35 calf raises, that's a sign that this calf needs to get stronger and this is why you're having pain. However, if the calf that is tried after your runs is the leg that COULD do 35 calf raises (or nearly could), this calf hurts because it's doing TOO much of the work, making up for the slack/weakness of the other leg.
It feels good when I stretch my calf but why doesn't the relief last?
Muscles are fascinating and have lots of "sensors" in them. That's how you feel pain, tightness, relief, know where your muscle or limb is in space even with your eyes closed.
So when you stretch that muscle, the super computer that is your brain is experiencing an absence of that tightness message. Aaaaah, relief.
Until your brain and muscle have a conversation 5 minutes later and discuss "oh yea, that left calf is still weak. We better tighten everything up again to keep it safe until we're stronger".
As a physical therapist, I'm always looking for the reason WHY something feels tight. Because once you understand the why, that's when you use the right exercises to actually achieve long lasting relief.
Don't forget: I have the exact exercises you need to fix these problems for good.
Grab your 100% FREE copy of Calf & Achilles Cure here.
And never wonder "how do I fix these tight calves??" again ;)
Dare to Train Differently,
Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit
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