The half-kneeling ankle stretch works on the lower calf (soleus) and the bend at the front of the ankle. You kneel on one knee with the other foot flat in front, hold a stick for balance, and lean forward so the front knee travels over the toes while that heel stays down. The ankle being stretched is the one in front.

How to do the half-kneeling ankle stretch

Kneel on a mat that does not slide, with a folded towel under the kneeling knee if it needs padding. Hold a stick upright in front of you with both hands. A broom handle or walking pole will do, as long as its end does not slip.
Bring the leg you want to stretch forward and put that foot flat on the floor, so you are half kneeling. Rest the end of the stick on the floor just in front of that foot.
Sit tall, with your front foot pointing straight ahead and your front knee in line with your second toe.
Lean your body forward, letting the stick tilt with you, so the front knee moves forward over and past your toes. Keep the front heel pressed into the floor.
Stop where you feel the stretch, hold it and breathe. Then ease back to upright, and switch legs if your program includes both sides.

What you should feel

A stretch low in the calf and around the Achilles tendon of the front leg. Some people feel more of a tightness deep in the ankle itself, which is common after a fracture or time in a boot. A sharp pinch at the front of the ankle is not the aim.

Common mistakes

Letting the front heel lift. Once it rises, the stretch leaves the calf.
Letting the front knee fall inward toward the other leg.
Bouncing forward and back instead of holding the stretch still.

How often

Many programs hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat it 2 to 3 times, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp or pinching pain at the front or back of the ankle, or in the Achilles tendon.
A sudden pop or snap at the back of your ankle or heel, a feeling that someone kicked you there, or sudden pain there after which you cannot push off or rise onto your toes on that leg. Stop, take the weight off that leg carefully and go to an urgent care center or emergency department the same day, even if you can still walk, as this can be a torn Achilles tendon.
Your calf or thigh becomes swollen, warm, tender, red or darker than usual, or has a throbbing or cramping pain that feels different from normal muscle ache. Stop and get medical advice the same day, as this can be a blood clot. If you are also short of breath or have chest pain, call emergency services.
Pain in the kneeling knee that does not ease with extra padding.

From the clinic

This is a kneeling cousin of the soleus stretch at a wall. Some people feel the stretch more easily here than in the standing version, because they can lean their body weight over the front ankle. Your physio may measure how far your knee travels past your toes to track your progress.

After an ankle fracture or ankle surgery, follow your surgeon's or physio's weight-bearing plan, and start this exercise only when they have cleared you. Leaning forward pushes part of your weight through the front ankle, so it counts as putting weight on that leg. After a torn Achilles tendon, whether or not it was repaired, calf stretching is usually avoided for the first months. Stretching can lengthen the healing tendon, so wait for your surgeon's or physio's go-ahead.

If you have had knee surgery or a knee replacement, check with your surgeon or physio before you try this. Kneeling on the operated knee may not be comfortable or allowed yet, and the front knee bends further than a right angle here. If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try the half-kneeling ankle stretch. Leaning forward over the front leg bends that hip past a right angle, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations.

Getting down to kneel and back up again takes some leg strength and balance. If that is hard, or you have fallen in the past year, the standing version at a wall is the safer choice. If you do kneel, keep a sturdy chair beside you to push up from.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Half-kneeling ankle stretch