The toes up wall calf stretch works on the calf and the sole of the foot together. Facing a wall, you rest the toes of one foot up against it with the heel on the floor, keep that knee straight and bring your body toward the wall until the calf pulls. Bending the toes back also stretches the band under the foot (plantar fascia), which is why it often turns up in programs for heel pain.

How to do the toes up wall calf stretch

Stand facing a wall with your hands flat on it at about shoulder height.
Place the toes of one foot up against the wall, with that heel on the floor close to the base of the wall. Your other foot rests on the floor a little behind you, and its heel can come up as you lean, as in the video.
Keep the front knee straight and your hips facing the wall.
Bring your body and hips forward toward the wall until you feel a stretch along the back of the calf, and often under the arch too.
Hold the stretch and breathe easily, then ease back, lower the toes and repeat with the other leg.

What you should feel

A pull down the back of the calf of the front leg, with a stretch along the sole and under the big toe. It should stay a stretch, never pain at the heel or across the front of the ankle.

Common mistakes

Bending the front knee as you lean, which moves the stretch lower and eases it.
Placing the toes so high on the wall that the heel lifts or the stretch hurts. Start low.
Sticking your bottom out instead of bringing the hips forward.
Forcing the lean into a painful stretch.

How often

Many programs hold for 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times on each leg, up to 2 or 3 times a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain in the heel, arch or Achilles tendon, or a stretch that turns to pain the further you lean.
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.

From the clinic

The higher your toes sit on the wall, the stronger the stretch in the sole and calf, so begin with them only a little way up. Plantar fasciitis programs often stretch the calf and the sole, and this position covers both at once. If you would rather work on them separately, the seated plantar fascia stretch targets the sole and the standing calf stretch targets the calf. The towel roll calf stretch does both legs together.

Keep both hands on the wall while you lean, and do the stretch on a floor that does not slip. If your pain is right where the Achilles tendon joins the heel bone, ask your physio before you start, as a firm stretch can aggravate that spot. After an Achilles tendon tear, whether or not it was repaired, wait until your surgeon and physio say calf stretching is allowed. 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.

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.

Toes up wall calf stretch