4 Standing Exercises That Rebuild Calf Strength Faster Than Treadmills After 65

Like many parts of your body, your calf muscles can naturally weaken as you age. This can occur due to becoming less active, the natural loss of lean muscle mass, and shifts between your brain and muscles. It’s essential to maintain strong calf muscles so you stay balanced, mobile, confident, and independent as you enter your 60s and beyond.

According to Karly Mendez, PhD, Senior Human Performance Specialist with Memorial Hermann Rockets Sports Medicine Institute, there’s a simple routine you can do to strengthen your calves. In fact, Mendez shares four standing exercises that can help rebuild calf strength faster than walking on a treadmill as you age.

“These exercises are specifically targeted to rebuild calf strength quicker than treadmill walking because they are progressively overloaded due to isolating the calf muscle with a specific calf exercise, along with moving through a full range of motion,” Mendez tells us.

Double-Leg Calf Raises

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Engage your core.
3. Slowly rise onto your toes.
4. Squeeze your upper back muscles at the top as you hold the calf raise, feeling the stretch in your lower legs.
5. Lower back down with control.
6. Repeat for the prescribed reps.

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Single-Leg Calf Raises

1. Begin standing tall beside a wall or rail for support.
2. Lift one foot off the floor.
3. Perform controlled calf raises using just your working leg. Focus on rising as high as you’re able to through the ball of your foot.
4. Slowly lower into a deep stretch.
5. Perform the prescribed reps on each side.

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Pigeon-Toe Calf Raises

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Slightly turn your toes inward so that your feet point toward each other.
3. Hold onto a sturdy surface—like a counter or the back of a chair—for support, if necessary.
4. Keep your toes pointed inward as you slowly lift your heels off the ground and rise onto the balls of your feet.
5. Squeeze your calves at the top before slowly lowering.
6. Repeat for the prescribed reps.

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Duck Foot Calf Raises

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Slightly turn your toes outward so that your feet point away from each other.
3. Hold onto a sturdy surface—like a counter or the back of a chair—for support, if necessary.
4. Keep your toes pointed outward as you slowly lift your heels off the ground and rise onto the balls of your feet.
5. Squeeze your calves at the top before slowly lowering.
6. Repeat for the prescribed reps.

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