March

Function:

The lower leg muscles are made up of two muscle groupsthe calves (gastrocs and soleus) and the tibialis. The calves increase the angle from the shin to the toes while the tibialis lessens the angle from shin to toes.

Activities:

Activities that use the muscles of the lower leg might include:

• raising the heels in jumping by pushing off the floor (calves), and
• the recovery phase of the bicycle pedal (tibialis). 

Strength Exercises:

The lower leg muscles can be strengthened by all types of jumping activities including a variety of rope skipping activities.

Flexibility Exercises:

To stretch the lower leg muscles:

• stand with your toes on a 2 by 4 inch board, letting your heels hang off to come in contact with the floor. Lean forward slightly to increase the stretch, and
• from a kneeling position, sit back on your heels with your toes pointed away from your body.

For more information on muscles, logon to

www.yahooligans.com

and type the word "muscle" into the search box.

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