STRENGTH-TRAIN
Perform these moves two or three times per week to build stability and strength
1 LUNGES WITH CALF RAISES
Stand with feet hipwidth apart. Step forward with your right leg and lower into a lunge. Lift and lower your right heel for 10-12 reps, keeping your spine straight and weight over your big toe. Push off your front foot to return to standing. Switch legs and repeat for one set. Do three or four sets.
2 SEATED CALF RAISES
Sit on a bench or chair, resting the balls of your feet on a block about 30cm in front of you. Place a weight plate, dumbbell or a heavy object (try a box with books in it) on your thighs, about 10cm from your knees. Lift your heels as high as possible, squeezing your calves. Slowly drop your heels as low as possible, until you feel a stretch in your calves. Do 10-12 reps for one set. Do three or four sets. More advanced: While seated, shift the weight to your right thigh and place your left foot on the floor. Repeat the same exercise, raising and lowering your right heel. Do 10-12 reps; switch legs and repeat for one set. Do three or four sets.
3 CALF RAISES
Stand on the edge of a step, letting your heels hang slightly lower than your toes. (If you’re a first-timer, ease into this exercise by standing on the edge of a slanted surface, like a raised plank of wood.) Rise onto the balls of your feet, engaging your calves. Keeping your knees straight but not locked, lower until you feel a stretch in your calves. Do 10-12 reps for one set. Do three or four sets. For an added challenge, hold a light dumbbell in each hand. More advanced: Stand on your right leg with your left leg bent (there should be no weight on it). Repeat the same exercise as above. Do 10-12 reps; switch legs and repeat for one set. Do three or four sets.
4 TOE WALKS
Stand with feet hipwidth apart; rise onto the balls of your feet. Walk forward 10 metres, about the width of a tennis court. (Or walk in a circle for 30 seconds.) Relax for a few seconds, then turn around and repeat in the other direction. To make it harder, carry a dumbbell in each hand. Repeat three or four times.