Calf Exercises for Better Circulation

Calf Exercises for Better Circulation

You may have heard your calves referred to as your body's "second heart." While they certainly aren't a second heart, there is an interesting reason for that nickname. Your calf muscles play an important role in helping blood move back up your legs toward your heart. This gives us a good reason to keep your calves strong and keep our ankles moving!

How do your calves help your circulation?

Every time you walk, climb stairs, rise up onto your toes or perform a calf raise, your calf muscles contract. Those contractions help squeeze the veins in your lower legs and assist with moving blood upward toward your heart. This is often called the calf muscle pump.

Think about what happens when you're walking. Your calf muscles are repeatedly contracting and relaxing with every step. You're not consciously thinking about circulation. You're simply moving. That's one reason why regular movement throughout the day is so important.

What happens when we sit for a long time?

Here's something many of us can relate to: sitting.

Maybe you're watching television, reading, working at your computer or spending several hours in the car. When you're sitting for a long period of time, your calf muscles aren't contracting nearly as often as they do when you're walking around. That's why one of the simplest things you can do for your overall health is get up and move regularly.

You don't have to do a full workout every time you get out of your chair. You can simply:

Walk around the house

Take a few trips up and down the hallway

Stand up and sit down a few times

Move your ankles

Do a few gentle calf raises while holding onto a sturdy chair

Don't forget your ankles

Your calf muscles and your ankles work together when you walk. Good ankle mobility helps you move through a normal walking pattern and allows your calf muscles to do their job effectively. As we get older, it's especially important to maintain the ability to move our ankles comfortably. Stiff ankles can affect the way we walk and can make everyday movements more difficult.

Try these simple exercises

You don't need fancy equipment to give your calves and ankles some attention.

1. Seated ankle pumps

Sit comfortably in a sturdy chair with both feet on the floor. Lift your toes while keeping your heels down. Then press your toes into the floor and lift your heels. Continue slowly for 10 to 20 repetitions. This is an easy exercise to do while sitting, even if you're watching television.

2. Seated heel raises

Sit tall with your feet flat on the floor. Keeping your toes on the floor, lift your heels as high as is comfortable. Lower them slowly. Repeat 10 to 15 times. Want a little more resistance? Place your hands gently on your thighs as you lift your heels.

3. Standing calf raises

Stand behind a sturdy chair and hold onto it for support. Slowly rise up onto the balls of your feet. Pause briefly at the top, then slowly lower your heels back down. Try 8 to 15 repetitions. Safety first: Make sure you have something sturdy to hold onto and don't perform this exercise if you feel unsteady.

4. Take a walk

This may be the simplest exercise of all. Walking naturally activates the muscles in your lower legs while also working your heart, improving strength and helping you maintain your mobility. Even short walks throughout the day are worthwhile.

Small movements really do matter

One of the biggest lessons here isn't that you need to add another complicated exercise to your workout routine. It's that movement throughout the day matters. A 30- or 60-minute workout is wonderful, but it doesn't mean we should spend the rest of the day sitting. Look for little opportunities to move. Get up during television commercials. Walk around while you're talking on the phone. Take an extra lap around the grocery store when appropriate. Move your feet and ankles while you're sitting. Do a few calf raises while you're waiting for the coffee to brew. These little bursts of movement can help keep your body active between workouts.

Your calves have an important job

Your calf muscles may not get the same attention as your heart or your larger leg muscles, but they play an important role in everyday movement and in helping blood return from your lower legs. So the next time you're doing a workout, don't skip those calf raises! When you're sitting for a while, remember that you don't have to wait until your next workout to move. Your body was designed to move, and sometimes the smallest movements can make a big difference.

Stand up. Take a few steps. Move your ankles. Get your calves working.

A note about circulation

Exercise and regular movement are important parts of a healthy lifestyle, but they aren't a treatment for circulation problems. If you have persistent swelling, pain, unusual discoloration, numbness, or other concerns involving your legs or circulation, talk with your healthcare professional.

If you’d like to keep moving, join me on zoom on Thursday and Friday mornings. Send me a message and I’ll send you the information.

Essentrics-Thursdays at 9:00 AM ET 45-minute class focusing on stretching, strengthening and toning.

Fitness Fusion-Fridays at 9:00 AM 60-minute class combining cardio, strength training and core exercises

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