If you ask a personal trainer about the best move for longevity, they almost always recommend squats.
While these are great for strengthening muscles around your thighs and buttocks, they overlook another muscle group that’s incredibly important for aging well—your calves.
According to internal medicine physician Dr Cristina Sciavolino-Day, the real powerhouse of the lower limb is the soleus.
“The soleus calf muscle is very important when it comes to balance and it’s essential in helping you stay upright,” she says.
“It stabilizes the ankle, keeps you balanced while walking and controls your body when you lean forward.”
Beyond stability, Sciavolino-Day notes that a strong soleus is vital for circulation.
Known as the second heart, this muscle helps to pump blood back up toward your torso every time it contracts.
The soleus can weaken if we’re sitting down all day, but it’s possible to strengthen it with the quick exercise below.
How to do the calf-raise squat
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and toes pointing out.
- Put your hands on your hips for balance.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a partial squat and pause in this position.
- Lift your heels and hold for as long as you can.
- Lower the feet back down, squeeze the glutes and drive through the heels to stand.
If you find this move too challenging, start by performing bent-knee calf raises in a chair instead.
Performing this kind of calf raise, with a bend in the knee, will help you isolate the soleus muscle.
However, she also recommends doing these other exercises to improve balance and target a wider range of lower-body muscles:
- Ankle circles
- Standing on one leg for 10-20 seconds each side
- Heel-to-toe walking
- Standing marches
- Sit-to-stand
