Sometimes we don’t think about our calves until we don a new pair of heels and wonder why our calves don’t look fabulous. How could they when we neglect them so much?
We use our calves throughout the day without even thinking about it, but when it comes time for the gym, it’s the last body part we want to work on.
Plus there’s the looming myth that if we work out our calves, they’ll get big and bulky. No! The exact opposite is true. To shape your calves, you have to strengthen and stretch them.
When your calves aren’t strong, they tend to look flabby and shapeless. Many women know that muscle weighs more than fat.
What that really means is that muscle takes up less space and volume in your body. If you convert your fat to muscle by working out, there will be less mass, which means less you! If you held up ten pounds of fat next to ten pounds of muscle, you would see how much less space the muscle takes up.
By strengthening your calves, they’ll actually look smaller. When you don’t work out your calves, they get tight and cause other problems, such as hip and lower-back pain and cramping. Yes, it is true that having thin or full calves is partly genetic. But what you do to them makes all the difference.
If you’re blessed with large calves with some muscle, you can whittle them down to shapely legs, even if you feel like they resemble tree trunks. If you start with skinny calves, you can build them up from nothing and help balance out the shape of your lower body.
Even “carrot stick” or “drumstick” legs (i.e., when the leg is disproportionately thicker on top and skinnier on the bottom) can be improved. Working out your calves can make your whole lower body look better. And you don’t need a fancy calf machine to accomplish this.
Walk the Walk
How you walk partly determines the shape of your calves and legs, so be sure to use proper form. What’s the perfect stride?
- Step forward.
- Land on your heel.
- Roll through your foot.
- Push off between your first and second toe.
But what about when you power walk at different inclines?
On a Flat Surface
- Keep your arms close to your sides.
- Pull your arms back with your elbows as you walk.
- Keep your sternum lifted and your eyes on the horizon.
Uphill
- Cross your arms in front of you.
- Pull your arms back with your elbows.
Downhill
- Keep your weight in the back of your heels and glutes.
- Don’t support yourself by your kneecaps.
On a Treadmill
- Keep your eyes on the horizon.
- If the TV at the gym is very high up and requires you to
strain your neck to see it, listen to music or a book on CD
and focus on your breathing instead.
There you have it! Now you know how you can sculpt your calves just by walking. Remember not to neglect your calves either in the gym or after a long day of standing or walking on unforgiving surfaces.
Stretching and strengthening your calves can change their shape and make shoe shopping even more fun. Focusing on the aesthetic and strength benefits of toned calves ensures that they look and feel great in any outfit you choose.
And you and your calves will live happily ever after…
