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Lower Legs
Ever notice that you are stubbing the toe of your shoe when you walk? Are you susceptible to shin splints? These are a couple of the symptoms of the calf muscles being too tight, or the tibialis anterior muscle (front of the lower leg) being too weak to balance the pull of the calf muscles across the ankle joint.
The best thing you can do for the health of your lower leg is work on the flexibility of the calf muscles. See flexibility training: lower leg for specific stretches. The next best thing you could do is work on strengthening the tibialis anterior muscle. You can begin without weight, however you will eventually need an ankle or wrist weight to challenge this muscle. The calf muscles, on the other hand, are probably already plenty strong. Your time would be best spent stretching them. However, if you would like to strengthen the muscles of your calf, see below.
Toe Lift (Tibialis Anterior) (Work up to 5 to 8 lbs)
Starting Position: Lie on the floor with your head in a relaxed position, your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Contract your abdominals. Raise your feet until your lower leg is parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your thighs for support. Working one or both feet at a time, begin by allowing your toes to point, creating as long a line between the tip of your toes and your knees as comfortable. Flex your ankle to bring your toes toward your knees. Release and repeat until you feel tightness in the front of your lower leg. As you become stronger you can wrap an ankle or wrist weight around the toes of your foot. The point is to add resistance to the toes: weights on the ankle will not work.
  
Sitting position: Same as above, but sit in a chair. Work one foot at a time by lifting your knee off the chair. Support the weight of your lifted knee by clasping your hands under your thigh.
Heel Lift (Calf)
Starting Position: Stand up straight with your feet slightly apart. Stabilize yourself by touching the back of the chair, or wall, etc. Keeping your abdominals contracted and your focus straight ahead, rise up onto the balls of your feet and hold for a few seconds. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat up to 12 times. To increase the challenge, work one leg at a time.
 
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