5 Easy And Effective Yoga For Calf Pain

Calf pain does not refer to the pain of a young cow, but the pain in the calves of your legs (the fleshy region below your knee on the backside of your legs). Muscle strain or cramping can be the most common reason for your calves to pain. Blood clotting, Baker’s cyst, Achilles Tendonitis, or Plantaris muscle rupture can be the other reasons for calf pain.
Though calf pain can be treated with medicines and ice/heat application, exercise plays an important role in alleviating calf pain, as it improves blood flow to the region and increases muscle suppleness. Most yoga calf exercises stretch the soleus(inner calf muscle) and the gastrocnemius(outer thigh muscles).

5 Yoga Exercises For Calf Pain

Supta Padangushtasana (Reclining Big Toe)

One of the quickest ways to get relief from calf pain is to perform a simple calf stretching exercise. Lie down on the floor. Bend your legs at the knees and place a band on your right foot. Pull the band, while lifting your right leg upwards so that your calf experiences a tautness or tension in the calf region.

Keep raising your leg to your maximum capacity. Remain in this pose for 10-20 seconds or longer. Return to resting pose and perform the exercise with the other leg.

Adho Mukhasvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

The Downward Facing Dog pose stretches your calves deeply. Stand on your hands and knees on the floor in the Yoga Table Top position. Place your soles vertically, with your toes touching the ground. Now slowly, raise your pelvis upwards till your legs become straight.

Gradually, place your soles on the ground. Remain in this pose for 10-30 seconds or longer. Return to resting pose and perform this asana as many number of times as you can, on a daily basis.

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

Uttanasana is another yoga exercise to stretch and relax your aching calf muscles. Stand erect and inhale deeply. Now, gradually bend forward exhaling.

Keep bending till your head touches your toes, without bending your knees. Hold your ankles. Remain in this pose for about 10-30 seconds or as desired. Return to resting pose and repeat the exercise.

Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

The Chair pose is a novel pose to stretch and strengthen the muscles of your entire legs. Stand erect, bend your knees and slowly bend your body to assume an imaginary chair-seated pose.

This pose stretches your calf muscles and strengthens them, as a considerable portion of your body weight is rested on them, thereby creating a strengthening muscle pressure on them.

Garudasana (Eagle Pose)

Garudasana is a standing pose. Begin this asana by standing erect. Now fold your left leg over your right leg, and hook your right leg with your left foot. Cross your left elbow over your right elbow and, lock your left hand over your right hand as though clasping.

Remain in this pose for 10-30 seconds.  Repeat the exercise for as many times as you can, comfortably. This asana stretches, tones and strengthens your calf muscles.