Anatomy of the soleus muscle or Soleus muscle, and a workout plan for it

The soleus muscle is a wide, flat, large muscle located at the back of the lower leg. It starts from the back of the shin bone and attaches to the heel bone as part of the Achilles tendon.

The soleus muscle works during activities like walking, running, and jumping. So, injury to this muscle can affect the body's ability to do these basic necessary actions.

• Anatomy of the soleus muscle Soleus muscle:

The soleus muscle starts from the back side of the shin bone. It also has small slips from the head of the fibula and along the thin membrane between the fibula and shin bone.

The soleus muscle extends down the back of the lower leg. Along with the gastrocnemius muscle, they form one muscle group called the triceps surae.

• Function of the soleus muscle Soleus muscle:

The soleus muscles flex the feet, causing plantar flexion. This is the movement when the foot and toes point down. The soleus and calf muscles do this job.

The soleus is a single joint muscle that only crosses the ankle. When you bend your knee, the calf muscle relaxes and can’t contract strongly to bend the ankle down. The soleus is very active as a plantar flexor when the knee is bent.

The soleus muscles stretch a bit while walking and going up and down stairs. They also stay stretched during running and activities that need jumping.

The soleus helps keep balance when standing on one foot. It’s mostly made of slow twitch fibers, so it has great endurance and can handle contractions and work for a long time.

The soleus also helps pump blood from the lower leg to the heart. Veins carry blood back to the heart, and they have small one-way valves inside. When the soleus contracts it works like a sponge pushing blood through the veins. The valves stop blood from pooling back down into the foot.

• Exercises to strengthen the soleus muscle :-

Exercises that directly work the soleus muscle make it stronger, which makes doing activities like walking, running, dancing, and jumping easier.

Here’s a set of exercises to strengthen the soleus :-

1. Standing bent knee raise exercise :-

• How to do this exercise :-

1. You need a chair to do this exercise.

2. Stand in front of the chair with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your spine straight.

3. Place your fingertips on the back of the chair.

4. Curl your toes inward and lift your heels off the ground.

5. Hold this position for a few seconds, then go back to the starting position.

6. You can repeat this exercise 15 - 20 times, in three sets.

2. Seated selous raise with weight :-

• How to do this exercise :-

1. Sit on a chair, keeping your spine straight.

2. Spread your feet hip-width apart and firmly place them on the ground.

3. Hold a suitable weight in each hand, placing each weight on your thigh.

4. Lift your heels off the ground while keeping the weights on your thighs.

5. Hold this position for 1 second, then return to the starting position.

6. You can repeat this exercise 15 - 20 times, in three sets.

3. Forward step down exercise :-

• How to do this exercise :-

1. Stand on a box or bench higher than the ground, keeping your spine straight.

2. Place one foot firmly on the bench and lower the other foot down.

3. Before the other foot touches the ground, bring it back to be level with the foot on the box.

4. Keep your body stable and steady throughout the exercise.

5. You can repeat this exercise 15 - 20 times, in three sets.

Choose the exercises that suit you from above which target the soleus muscle, and include them in your workout routine to strengthen the soleus and other leg muscles for easier daily activities.

Article sources :- 1 , 2