19/03/2026
🏃♂️ Runners: Achilles pain that settles… then returns? Don’t neglect the soleus.
If you’re a runner who has experienced achilles pain, calf tightness or shin pain, an often-overlooked muscle may be part of the picture — the soleus.
The soleus sits underneath the larger calf muscle (the gastrocnemius) and plays a huge role in running.
Research suggests it can absorb up to 6–8 times your bodyweight with each stride, helping control the ankle and store energy as you move forward.
Despite its importance, many runners primarily train their calves with straight-leg calf raises, which mainly target the gastrocnemius.
To better target the soleus, exercises with the knee slightly bent are more effective.
Strengthening the soleus can be a key part of rehab and prevention.
A simple place to start:
✔ Bent-knee calf raises (like the machine shown at PARC)!
✔ Slow tempo, high reps
✔ Gradually add load
Key points we would love runners to know
• Tendons need load, not rest
• Progressive calf strengthening is so important, don’t just run!
• Gradual return to running, 10% more than last week max.
If running injuries keep coming back, we can help guide the right rehab and return-to-run plan.
📍 Davenport Physiotherapy
