Ankles and calves · 30–60 seconds of slow repetitions
Heel raises, for ankles that carry you
The calf is the engine of every step, and it is trained by going slowly down, not quickly up.
Calf strength is what pushes you off the ground with each step and what keeps an ankle steady on uneven pavement. The lowering half of a heel raise is where most of the useful work happens, and it is the half people usually drop through.
How to do it
- 1
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, near a wall or chair
Rest your fingertips on the support for balance — you are not leaning on it, just borrowing a reference point.
- 2
Rise onto the balls of your feet
Push evenly through the big toe and the little toe side so the ankles do not roll outward.
- 3
Lower slowly, over about three seconds
This is the important part. Come down under control rather than dropping the heels to the floor.
Make it easier
Do them seated, or keep more weight in your hands on the support. Reducing the load is better than rushing the lowering.
Make it harder
Stand on one leg at a time, or take the movement to the edge of a step so the heel can travel below the level of the toes — the library's step version.
The mistake that undoes it
Bouncing. Fast repetitions use the tendon's spring rather than the muscle, which feels easier and builds much less.
When this one tends to help
Feet that ache in the morning, ankles that feel unreliable on uneven ground, and anyone who walks a lot.
Sharp pain in the heel or the back of the ankle is a reason to stop and have it looked at rather than push on.
Also part of sessions for
Each of those explains what the condition is, what the published guidance recommends, and where this movement fits.
Common questions
How many heel raises should I do?
The library doses heel raises by time rather than a count: 30 to 60 seconds of slow repetitions, lowering over about three seconds each time.
Why lower slowly?
The lowering half is where most of the useful work happens. Fast, bouncing repetitions use the spring of the tendon instead of the muscle, which feels easier and builds much less.
One leg or two?
Start on two. Single-leg raises, or raises off the edge of a step so the heel drops below the toes, are the harder versions for when two legs feel easy.
Can I do heel raises sitting down?
Yes. Seated raises, or keeping more weight in your hands on a support, reduce the load. Reducing the load is better than rushing the lowering.
Also called heel raises, calf raises, heel lifts. Drawn from the clinically authored Vinys exercise library. Read how the method works. General movement guidance, not medical advice.