Seated toe raises are easier to start with because your feet are not supporting your body weight. Later, when your feet are stronger, you can move on to standing toe raises. This exercise is safe to do every day, or as needed if your feet are feeling stiff or sore. However, you shouldn’t continue this exercise if it causes pain.

Use the chair or table for balance, but be careful not to collapse into it or lean on it. Start by using 2 hands to maintain balance. With time, you can move on to just using one hand, then finally no hands. This exercise is generally safe to do every day, as long as you don’t feel any pain while doing it. Once you progress to doing toe raises without support, you can even do mini-sets throughout the day, such as when you’re cooking or brushing your teeth.

Combining these movements stretches and strengthens your entire foot by taking it through its full range of motion. You’ll also strengthen your shins. This exercise is safe to do every day. However, you should stop if you feel any pain in your feet or shins.

If one side is noticeably weaker than the other, you might want to add more repetitions with that side to bring it up to the same level as the stronger side. You can generally do this exercise every day. Use a wall to help maintain your balance and posture on one leg.

If you don’t have resistance bands, you can also work with a rolled-up towel or T-shirt looped around your feet. You can do this exercise with both feet at the same time or alternating feet. If you only do one foot at a time, bend the knee of the other leg so the foot is resting flat on the ground. Do resistance exercises 2 to 3 times a week.

When you first start out, you might want to use a table, counter, or sturdy chair to support your balance — especially if you’re not accustomed to standing on your toes. It’s easy to start pitching forward while you’re doing this exercise. Make sure you’re standing tall and your head is moving upward, not forward. This exercise is safe to do every day. You might also incorporate it as a warm-up or cool-down for your lower legs, either before or after aerobic exercise, such as running or biking. You can find calf raise machines in most gyms. [9] X Expert Source Adam ShutyCertified Strength & Conditioning Specialist Expert Interview. 25 June 2021.

With this exercise, you have the option of alternating feet with each calf raise or doing all the repetitions with one foot and then switching to the other. Do it whichever way is easiest for you to keep up with. See if you can squeeze the quad and lock out the knee as you come up onto the ball of your foot. [11] X Expert Source Adam ShutyCertified Strength & Conditioning Specialist Expert Interview. 25 June 2021. Single-leg exercises can help you pinpoint any muscle imbalances in your legs. [12] X Expert Source Adam ShutyCertified Strength & Conditioning Specialist Expert Interview. 25 June 2021.

Raise up on the balls of your feet the same way you did with a basic calf raise. You’ll feel the burn in your calves because your heels are traveling a longer distance and gravity provides a little more resistance. Start with 2 sets of 5 repetitions and work your way up to 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Use this exercise as a progression of regular calf raises after they stop being challenging or providing the stretch you need.

You can add weight to any of the calf-raise variations as well — just make sure you can maintain balance while completing the exercise with correct form. If you need to use a wall or other structure to maintain your balance, you can use ankle weights to add resistance. Do resistance exercises 2 to 3 times a week. If you already have a strength-building resistance routine built into your exercise regimen, simply add this exercise to your existing routine.