Elastic recoil

Calf springs

Light, bouncy heel raises, landing like you are trying to be quiet. Springy loading is what trains fascia's elastic recoil, the kangaroo quality that makes movement cheap.

How to do it

1. 01Stand tall, weight even across both feet, fingertips on a wall if you like.
2. 02Bounce lightly on the balls of your feet, heels kissing the floor between reps.
3. 03Land like you are trying not to be heard; the quiet is the technique.
4. 04Keep a springy rhythm for 20 bounces, rest, and repeat once.

Mistakes that waste your reps

• ×Landing heavy and flat-footed, which absorbs the spring you are trying to train.
• ×Turning it into a max-height jump; small and elastic beats big and muscular.
• ×Letting the knees do the bouncing instead of the ankles.

Where this comes from

Discomfort that eases as you move is normal; pain that sharpens is a stop sign. If this area is injured or persistently painful, a clinician outranks this page.

Written by Kyle Jenkin · updated August 31, 2026 · how we grade evidence

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