Soleus Muscle: Simple Strategies For Strength And Flexibility

The soleus muscle is a powerful yet under-appreciated muscle that often gets overlooked. It is a flat and broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius in the calf. The soleus is responsible for creating plantar flexion, which is pointing the foot down, and plays a crucial role in standing, walking, and running. Strengthening the soleus muscle can help improve running performance, increase calf strength, and reduce the risk of injuries such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy. This can be achieved through various exercises such as the soleus wall sit and tip-toe walking, which target the soleus to improve strength and endurance. Additionally, the soleus pushup has been found to effectively elevate muscle metabolism and improve metabolic health, even while sitting.

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Soleus pushup

The soleus is a flat and broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius, originating from the two bones that make up the shin, starting right below the knee joint line. It is one of the most important muscles for runners, contributing to a large portion of the ground reaction force in the vertical direction and nearly all of the propulsive components in the anterior/posterior direction while running.

The soleus pushup (SPU) is a term coined by Professor Marc Hamilton of the University of Houston, who discovered that this approach effectively elevates muscle metabolism for hours, even while sitting. The SPU targets the soleus to increase oxygen consumption more than what is possible with other soleus activities, while also being resistant to fatigue.

To perform a soleus pushup, sit in a chair with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Push your toes into the ground as you raise your heels, then lower your heels and repeat. The SPU movement might look like walking, but it is the exact opposite, as when walking, the body is designed to minimize the amount of energy used due to how the soleus moves.

The soleus pushup has a relatively low energy expenditure, using a muscle that makes up only one per cent of total body mass and burning half as many calories per minute as walking. However, researchers were impressed by how much it boosted metabolism and improved glucose regulation. Participants who continually performed soleus pushups saw elevated whole-body metabolism levels and a 52 per cent improvement in blood sugar regulation after drinking a glucose drink.

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Soleus wall sit

The soleus is a flat and broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius in the calf. It is one of the most important muscles for runners, helping to improve running performance and prevent injury. The soleus is also important for standing and walking as it creates plantar flexion, or pointing the foot down.

To strengthen the soleus, you can perform soleus wall squats or soleus wall sits. This exercise also works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. To perform a soleus wall sit, stand with your back against a wall, feet shoulder-width apart and slightly forward. Bend your knees to lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. You can rise up onto the balls of your feet to further engage the soleus. Hold this squat position for as long as you can, starting with a minimum of 10 seconds and working your way up to 30 seconds. Slowly rise back up to the starting position. Repeat this for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, depending on your fitness level and goals.

The soleus is a fatigue-resistant muscle, so it is important to challenge it with a sufficient number of reps and hold times. This exercise will help improve calf strength and stability, as well as help prevent ankle and knee injuries.

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Tip-toe walking

The soleus muscle is a flat and broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius muscle. It is one of the two primary calf muscles and is responsible for plantar flexion (pointing the foot down). The soleus muscle is particularly important when it comes to standing, walking, and running.

However, it is important to note that tip-toe walking may not be suitable for everyone. For example, children with toe-walking may have calves and Achilles tendons that are too tight to walk flat-footed. In such cases, tip-toe walking may be discouraged. It is always best to consult a doctor or physical therapist to determine the best course of action for your specific needs.

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Stretching

One effective stretch for the soleus muscle is the downward-facing dog pose, which is commonly practiced in yoga. To perform this stretch, start on your hands and knees, with your hands placed slightly in front of your shoulders and your knees placed hip-width apart. Tuck your toes under and slowly lift your knees off the ground, straightening your legs as you do so. Keep a slight bend in your knees if your hamstrings feel tight. Press firmly into your hands, and focus on pressing your hips back and up toward the ceiling. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs, including your calves and soleus muscles. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to a minute, taking deep breaths throughout.

Another beneficial stretch for the soleus muscle is the standing calf stretch. To perform this stretch, stand facing a wall and place your hands on the wall at about eye level. Step forward with one foot, keeping the other foot back, and keep both feet flat on the ground. Keep your back leg straight and lean into the wall, pressing into your back foot, and you should feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg. To target the soleus muscle specifically, bend your back knee slightly while keeping your heel on the ground. You can also try this stretch with your back leg straight and then bent to target different parts of the calf complex. Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, and repeat several times throughout the day.

Additionally, you can perform a seated soleus stretch. Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you, and loop a stretching band or towel around the balls of your feet, holding an end in each hand. Keep your legs together and your knees straight, and slowly pull back on the band or towel toward your body, feeling a stretch in your calves. Hold this stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, and repeat several times. This stretch isolates the soleus muscle and can help improve its flexibility and range of motion.

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Running

The soleus is one of the most important muscles for runners. It is one of three calf muscles that run down the back of the leg from the knee to the Achilles tendon. The soleus is the shorter and deeper of the three calf muscles and is more active with the knee bent. It is responsible for plantar flexion, or pointing the foot down, and is active during the push-off phase of running.

The soleus is often weak in runners, which can lead to calf tightening, an increased risk of calf strains, and compensatory overload in other structures, leading to injuries such as shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis. Therefore, it is important for runners to strengthen their soleus muscle to improve performance and prevent injuries.

To strengthen the soleus, runners can perform exercises such as standing and seated heel raises, deep squats, and calf flexion with a resistance band. One basic exercise is a calf raise, which can be performed by standing with the ball of the foot on a step and slowly lowering the heel until the ankle is fully flexed, then raising up onto the toes. This exercise can be done with both legs or one leg at a time. Another exercise is a deep bodyweight squat, which helps to strengthen and lengthen the soleus. This exercise can also be done with added weight or resistance bands to increase the difficulty.

In addition to specific soleus exercises, runners can also benefit from overall strength and conditioning programmes focusing on the lower limb muscle groups such as the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. It is also important to properly warm up and cool down before and after workouts, respectively, to prevent injuries.

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