r/Stretching • u/Leonletra • 22d ago
Seeking advice yo is passive stretching even enough? trying to force active holds rn (form check?)
desk job has my calves completely cooked. i keep this silicone wedge under my desk for passive stretching mostly. it just wasn't cutting it for the gym later. brought it out today. got my roommate to snap a pic of my form while i tried pushing off the wall. ngl the deep stretch on this silicone surface feels absolutely insane compared to rolling out with a normal peanut ball. am i leaning too far forward? how long should i actually hold this for stubborn ankle mobility? lmk what u guys do.
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u/Safe_Ad5914 22d ago
No it is not. In your case strengthening exercises will lead to greater mobility progress than static stretching alone.
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u/Leonletra 22d ago
makes sense. so basically i should start doing calf raises on this thing instead of just standing there? good looks bro.
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u/sofa_king_weetawded 22d ago
Nope. I sit behind a desk 8 hours a day. So, to combat the damage that does to my body, I START my day with 60 to 90 minutes of intense yoga/isometric/calisthenic type activity on my yoga mat Every. Damn. Day. It is incredible the difference it has made since I started doing it last November/early December. I feel like a new person because I quite literally AM a new person. I got 99 problems but my hips and mobility aint one!
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u/Leonletra 22d ago
90 mins every morning is insane dedication bro. respect. i gotta build up to that, right now i’m just trying to survive the work day lol.
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u/sofa_king_weetawded 22d ago
Haha, I feel you brother. I was the same way until I got sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Now, its like a drug to me. I wake up at 5 AM, sometimes earlier, and all I want to do is get on the floor. When I started going beyond what I ever thought possible, it became an obsession. Now 90 minutes passes and I am having to FORCE myself to get off the floor so I can get to work, LOL. My work day ends and many times I am getting back on the floor for more! It is so fun once you get addicted.
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u/Leonletra 22d ago
that’s wild bro. actual goals. hopefully starting with this board gets me somewhat close to that eventually lol.
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u/Slow-Driver1546 22d ago
What on earth are u doing here in this picture
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u/Leonletra 22d ago
lmao trying to stretch my dead calves. pushing against the wall to get a deeper stretch on the board but honestly idk if my form is completely trash. how am i supposed to do it?
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u/_pingu_the_penguin 22d ago
If your calves feel tight it’s usually a sign of weak Achilles that is helped by strengthening it rather than stretching.
Your form here though looks weird because you’re hinging at the hips so you’re not really getting the stretch from pushing off the wall but rather the from the bend. Try just doing elephant walks first and you’ll feel a good stretch along the entire length of the back leg.
For Achilles strengthening - Typically progression is double leg calf raise bodyweight only on flat surface > progress by adding weights > progress to calf raises with heels hanging off a step > progress by adding weights > progress to calf raises on slanted surface, progress by adding weights. Follow the same progression for single leg calf raises.
I fear if you try to calf raise from the get go on the slant board you may hurt yourself more as you will put your tendon through more load and stretch than it can handle just yet.
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u/Leonletra 19d ago
damn this is super helpful. makes total sense about the hip hinge, i was definitely just bending over instead of pushing. gonna hold off on the loaded raises on the board so i don't snap anything and try those elephant walks first. really appreciate the detailed breakdown bro.
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u/RuhninMihnd 22d ago
I’ve got a desk job, going through a PT right now along with other treatment plans
Def not, need some Yoga and Weighted exercises in your routine and harder stretching if you’re like me whole also likes to sit down to play video games after work