Release tight calves with Myo-Yin Yoga
Last time I flew overseas and walked through the streets of Paris, I end up with (too many pastries) and really tight calves. What to do apart from putting legs up? Roll and release with tennis balls and Yin Yoga, a magic duo! I always carry tennis balls with me for this reason.
Below you find a short video, where I show you how to roll and release tight calves with Myo-Yin Yoga aka Roll & Release - a combination of rolling your tissues and Yin Yoga.
Understanding tight Calves
Tight calves have an impact on our ability to walk, our ankle mobility and balance. Restriction might also result in frequent cramps.
Tightness in your calf muscles can have various reasons, ranging from overuse (e.g. repetitive strain without proper stretching) to underuse (e.g. sedentary lifestyle etc.). If you have chronically tight calves, you might want to chat to your physio/ osteo/ health professional to clarify.
We predominantly feel the fleshy Gastrocnemius in the posterior calf, which has two heads that eventually turn into the Achilles tendon. Underneath we find Soleus muscle, and as we probably know: all muscles are encased in and intervened by fascia (connective tissue) which plays important roles in movement, mobility and tissue health. You want to keep your fascia happy!
Broad schematic of calf: Gastrocnemius with two heads turning into Achilles tendon. Soleus lies deep to Gastrocnemius. Other structures not shown.
Self myofascial release for the calves
Self-myofascial release is any tool or technique that manipulates the myofascia, your muscles (=myo) + connective tissue (=fascia). I love to use myofascial release balls or simply tennis balls, Yoga blocks and/or foam roller to either compress or roll different tissues of the body.
Through compression of these tissues, we squeeze fluids out like you would with a sponge and upon release, fluids get re-distributed and pulled back in. This is beneficial for hydration and release of toxins that have been trapped in the tissues.
When rolling we also improve circulation of blood and stimulate lymph flow. Self-MFR can reduce adhesions (think of velcro like tissue structures) between different layers of tissue which maintains or improves healthy gliding of these layers - crucial for our range of movement. An antidote to stiffness!
Here is how to roll and release tight calves (see video below):
Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
Place the tennis ball under the fleshy part of your calf, starting in the centre and mid way between knee and ankle.
Use your hands to gently lift your weight off the floor so you can roll your calf on top of the ball lengthwise, notice any tight or sore spots along the way.
Spend some extra time in areas of tightness (see video below).
Self-MFR + Yin Yoga: the magic combination
Yin Yoga with its slow and meditative nature involves holding poses for 1-3minutes. When it comes to releasing tight calves, certain Yin poses can work wonders as they help to create space and re-hydrate the tissues surrounding the area.
A few Yin poses that can help release tension and tightness in the calves:
Broken toes/ toe squat: kneel on the floor with your toes tucked under. You can lean forward, place your hands onto blocks or walk your hands up your thighs and sit upright depending on how intense this feels.
Dangling: a forward fold where we create space in the whole back line of the body, including the calves.
Low dragon pose, where the knee is further forward to direct the stretch and stimulus into the calf and ankle.
The magic really happens when we combine sel-MFR (rolling in this case) with Yin Yoga. If you would like to explore this combination, join me for this 30-min Myo-Yin Yoga practice to release tight calves:
In this video we will roll our calves to loosen up any tightness and improve hydration before sinking into Yin Yoga poses.
What you will need: two myofascial release balls or tennis balls, one Yoga block. If you have a foam roller at home, I will show some variation using a roller too.
Please be patient and kind to your tissues, listen to your body. Do not roll on bones directly, swollen, inflamed or bruised tissues. You can reduce the sensation of the balls by placing a blanket over.
Let me know how this practice felt for you ;-)
Simone