Top 7 Effective Exercises for Beautiful Calves

The calf muscles are those located at the back of your lower leg. Your calves are essential for walking, running, going up on your toes, and jumping. Fortunately, there are some effective calf exercises that can help tone your calves. It is important to do these exercises safely. Begin with the basic calf strengthening exercise. Once this is too easy, progress to the intermediate calf strengthening exercises and eventually the advanced calf exercises.

The Best and Easy Exercises for Calves

  1. Jumping rope forces you to stay on your toes, which works the calf muscles. Jump rope for 1 or 2 minutes as a warm-up before your daily workout of running, biking or swimming. Build up to 5 to 10 minutes of jumping.
  2. Calf Raises: Begin this calf strengthening exercise standing at a bench or chair for balance. Keep your feet shoulder width apart and facing forwards. Slowly move up onto your toes, raising your heels as far as possible and comfortable without pain, tightening your calf muscles. Then slowly lower back down. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions provided the exercise is pain free.
  3. Position the roller under the calves. Using your hands for support, slowly roll from the knee down to the ankle pausing on any tight or sore spots. Roll with your feet turned in and out. Keep toes flexed and pointed to work the entire muscle group.
  4. Seated Calf Raise: At the office or at home, sit straight in a chair with your knees bent and your feet touching the floor. Place a weight on your lap, then “roll” from your flat feet onto the toes of both feet. Roll back to flat. Repeat for three sets of 20.
  5. Sprints: Basic running will tone your entire leg. To work your calves more, add sprints once a week. After you are warmed up and have run for at least 20 minutes, sprint for 30 to 60 seconds. Recover by walking or slowly jogging for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat the sprint-recovery cycle four to eight times.
  6. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Lean forward and grab the arches of your feet. Pull your toes toward your body until a stretch is felt in your calf muscles. Hold for 10 seconds.
  7. Running, jogging, or even just walking is great exercise for calves; in fact, it’ll tone your whole body and provide cardio exercise at the same time!

Which of these calf exercises do you like best? Or do you have another exercise for calves you can recommend? Please share! So if you want to slim your waist then follow these useful tips.