SteadyStrong
Gentle StretchFully seated10 minutes

Seated Hamstring and Calf Stretch

Lengthen the back of your legs to make walking and stepping easier.

Gentle startLast reviewed 24 September 2026
Seated Hamstring and Calf Stretch: An older woman lengthening her spine on a mat during a slow stretch

Start guided session

6 steps · about 10 minutes. You can pause at any time, and every step shows a gentler alternative.

Step instructions shown as you goThree paces to choose from
Length
10 minutes
Effort
Gentle
Position
Seated
Steps
6
Legs & hipsA chair and a strap, belt or towel

Why this routine helps

Three reasons this session is worth your ten minutes, and what you should notice changing over the first few weeks.

  • Improves your walking stride length
  • Eases the tight feeling behind the knee
  • Reduces the risk of calf cramping at night

Safety cues for this routine

Read our full safety guidelines if this is your first week of exercise, or if anything here feels unclear.

Step by step

All 6 steps, with a gentler version of each

Open any step to read the full instruction and how to make it easier. The timing is a guide — going slower is always allowed.
  1. Sit with one leg longAbout 60 seconds

    Sit toward the front of the chair. Straighten your right leg with the heel on the floor, foot flexed up.

    Modify this move

    Keep a slight bend in the knee if straightening pulls at the back of the knee.

  2. Hinge forwardAbout 90 seconds

    Keep your back long and lean forward from the hips until you feel a gentle pull behind the thigh. Hold thirty seconds.

    Modify this move

    Loop a strap around your foot and hold the ends to reduce the lean.

  3. Swap legsAbout 90 seconds

    Sit up, bring the leg back, and repeat on the left side with the same thirty-second hold.

    Modify this move

    Repeat the first side again if it still feels tight.

  4. Calf stretchAbout 90 seconds

    Bring both feet back flat. Press one heel into the floor and lift the toes up toward your shin. Hold twenty seconds each side.

    Modify this move

    Do this standing with hands on a counter for a deeper stretch.

  5. Ankle alphabetAbout 120 seconds

    Lift one foot and draw the alphabet in the air with your toes. Swap feet. This finishes off your circulation.

    Modify this move

    Draw simple shapes instead of letters.

  6. SettleAbout 60 seconds

    Both feet flat, take five slow breaths, then stand slowly using your arms and legs together.

    Modify this move

    Sit for another minute before standing.

Keep going

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Reviewed by Dana Whitfield, PT, DPT — licensed physical therapist specialising in older-adult rehabilitation.