Calves

Back of the lower leg

Your calf is made of two main muscles on the back of your lower leg. They continue into the Achilles tendon, which attaches to the back of your heel bone.

Your push-off muscles

Your calves and Achilles tendon lift your heel and help push you off the ground when you walk, run, jump, and stand on your toes.

Strains from push-offs

Sudden moves, like quickly changing speed when you sprint, can strain a calf. A bad injury to the Achilles tendon can feel like someone kicked the back of your leg.

Tight calves pull on your heel

Heel pain from Sever's disease shows up most often during growth spurts. A tight calf adds pull on the heel growth plate, which you learned about in the Foot and Heel lessons.

Myth or fact?

• Muscle cramps are only caused by not eating enough bananas. Myth. Cramps often happen when a muscle is overused, or when you haven't had enough fluids. Low minerals can play a part too, so bananas alone won't stop them.

Calf raises

Hold a chair or wall for balance, rise up onto your toes, then lower down slowly. When that's easy, try one foot at a time.

Stretch after you play

Lean against a wall with one leg back, heel on the ground, and hold for about 30 seconds. Then bend the back knee a little to stretch the lower calf muscle.

Myth or fact?

• Adding running slowly helps your calves get used to the work. Fact. Too much running too soon can overload your calves and Achilles tendon. Building up a little at a time gives them time to adjust.

Stop and tell someone

If you feel a sudden pop or pain in the back of your lower leg, like someone kicked you, stop playing and tell an adult.

Myth or fact?

• If your calf hurts, sprinting on it will loosen it up. Myth. A strained muscle is easy to hurt again. Rest first, and wait until it's pain-free and strong before you sprint.