One-Minute Move Linked to Tight Calves

After roughly four months away from running, Kristine Kearns returned with several 30-minute outings each week. For the first time, her calves became persistently tight and sore. Changing shoes and stretching did not resolve the discomfort, which continued between runs and interfered with recovery and consistent training.

Kearns realized she had dropped calf exercises that previously appeared in her routine one to two times weekly. Anh Bui, DPT, CSCS, a USATF-certified run coach and Run Resiliently physical therapist, explained that returning to impact after reduced training can leave calf muscles and tendons needing time to adjust. When undertrained calves face too much running load, tightness may follow. Bui said worsening discomfort during runs warrants physical-therapy evaluation because a strain can begin with tightness. Tightness that eases during warming up may instead reflect general muscular stiffness.

After resting until her soreness settled, Kearns resumed calf-strengthening work. Her equipment-free staple was the pogo hop: she hopped in place for one minute, rested briefly, then completed another round. She performed it once or often twice weekly before mobility and core work, sometimes pairing it with two sets of weighted calf raises. Pogo hops develop reactive calf strength and help tendons manage and return energy from each foot strike.

Her routine also included bent-leg calf raises, which target the deep soleus muscle involved in forward propulsion, and eccentric heel drops, which combine strengthening with a calf stretch through a slow lowering phase. Bui said plyometrics and strength work generally need about one to two months to build calf capacity. After approximately six weeks of consistency, Kearns said the lingering tightness and soreness were gone, while the exercises also supported power and running efficiency.