The toes up wall soleus stretch works on the deeper, lower calf muscle (soleus) and the thick band under your foot (plantar fascia) together. You rest the toes of one foot up against a wall with the heel on the floor, then bend that knee toward the wall. Bending the knee is what moves the stretch low into the calf. It often appears in programs for heel pain and stiff ankles.

How to do the toes up wall soleus stretch

Face a wall and stand close to it. He keeps his hands on his hips in the video, but you can rest one or both hands on the wall for balance.
Place the toes of the leg you want to stretch up against the wall, with that heel on the floor close to the base of the wall. Your other foot stays flat on the floor a little behind you.
Bend the front knee and gently push it forward toward the wall, keeping the heel on the floor.
Stop when you feel a stretch low in the calf and under the arch. Hold it there and breathe easily.
Ease the knee back to relax, then repeat. Change legs if both are in your program.

What you should feel

A stretch low in the calf, just above the heel, and along the sole of the foot. It should never turn into pain at the heel or a pinch at the front of the ankle.

Common mistakes

Letting the heel lift off the floor as the knee moves forward. Place the toes lower on the wall.
Straightening the knee, which shifts the stretch up into the upper calf.
Pushing the knee in so far that the front of the ankle pinches.
Letting the knee drift inward instead of pointing it straight at the wall.

How often

Many programs use holds of 15 to 30 seconds, repeated 3 to 5 times on each leg, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain at the heel, under the arch, in the Achilles tendon or at the front of the ankle.
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

This is the bent-knee partner of the toes up wall calf stretch, which keeps the knee straight to reach the upper calf. Heel pain programs often use the pair. If standing on one flat foot is awkward, the seated plantar fascia stretch works on the sole on its own.

Keep a hand on the wall if your balance is not steady, and use a floor that does not slip. If your heel pain sits right at the back of the heel, where the Achilles tendon attaches, ask your physio before you start, because pushing the knee forward presses on that spot. After a torn Achilles tendon, with or without surgery, hold off calf stretches until your surgeon or physio says they are 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 2026-09-28.

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 soleus stretch