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I did calf raises every day for 30 days and it massively reduced my knee pain and made running easier
A lot of people neglect their calf muscles when they work out—I know I barely gave mine a second thought.
But after a recent visit to my physical therapist, I discovered I’d developed a weakness in my calves that was contributing to persistent pain in both knees.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to strengthen these muscles, and that’s through calf raises. This simple move involves standing up onto your tiptoes and then slowly lowering your heels back to the floor.
My physical therapist recommended I try an advanced version of this move, too—single-leg deficit calf raises. To do this, I had to stand on one leg, letting my heel hang over the edge of a raised surface like a step, and move up and down on my toes.
This increases the range of motion and makes the exercise more challenging and effective, especially for building unilateral strength and preventing muscle imbalances.
For the past month, I’ve been doing single-leg deficit calf raises three times a week, and regular calf raises every day while brushing my teeth. Here’s what I’ve noticed.
My knee pain has significantly reduced
My knee pain stems from a long-standing injury and one of the main ways I manage it is by keeping the surrounding muscles and joints strong.
While I can’t say for sure that calf raises alone are the reason my knee pain has reduced so dramatically, I think they’ve played a significant part. Since doing them daily, my knees feel more stable and the discomfort has become less frequent and intense.
I’ve also been doing other workouts that strengthen the hamstrings and lower body. But calf raises have been the easiest exercise to incorporate into my day—I do them while making a cup of tea or brushing my teeth. They’ve become the rehab move I’ve stuck to the most consistently.
My calves feel stronger
It’s no real surprise, but after 30 days, my calves felt a lot stronger.
When I first started doing the standard calf raises, my legs were burning after just six repetitions. Now, I can do 10 or more comfortably.
The single-leg deficit version is still a challenge, but I’ve managed to increase the repetitions from six to nine and I feel more stable than I did a month ago.
Given how low-effort these exercises have been, it’s been rewarding and motivating to see results so quickly.
Squats feel easier
I’ve always struggled with squats, especially when I try to add more weight to the move. But since focusing on calf strength, I feel much stronger and more confident, particularly when driving up from the bottom of the squat.
I think this is partly down to increased strength and becoming more mindful of engaging my calves during the lift. This has also helped improve my overall form.
High-impact movement is more comfortable
Running and playing sports have always triggered knee pain and I’ve never felt completely stable on my feet as a result. But this has changed since doing calf raises.
Now I feel more confident and supported during high-impact activities like tennis, which involves a lot of stopping, starting and quick direction changes.
For the past month, I’ve been doing five minutes of single-leg calf raises before every game. Now only has this supported my knees and lessened the pain, but it’s boosted my confidence on the court.
Is it worth doing calf raises for 30 days?
The time and effort I’ve put into calf raises has been minimal but the benefits have been surprisingly big.
I’d absolutely recommend adding them to your routine if you’re looking for a simple, effective way to support your knees and lower-body strength.
Just a couple of minutes a day, morning or evening—or during your workout warm-ups—could make a noticeable difference.
