by Wayne T., LMP

Did you know escalators can also be an excellent (and sneaky!) opportunity for a deep and energizing calf stretch?

Holding the handrail for support, start by positioning your toes on the edge of a step. Make sure your clothing clears the escalator’s moving edge so it doesn’t get caught. Using your body weight, drop your heels slowly so they sink lower than your toes, like you’re trying to touch the step below. Stretch one foot first, and when you reach midway on the escalator, switch to the other side for the rest of the ride. This stretch works the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles, and if it’s an especially long escalator, the hamstrings as well.

The escalator calf stretch is pretty subtle, so rest assured you won’t look like you’re prepping for a marathon in public… Needless to say, this simple stretch will put a little extra “pep” in your step, and it works on any escalator, any time. Escalators will never be the same!

~This article was written by Wayne T. – a massage therapist at Dreamclinic’s Roosevelt location. He attributes a great deal of his knowledge of massage, and the injury recovery process, to the treatment he received after being hit by a car as a pedestrian while enrolled in massage school. When he is not with a client, Wayne loves to play guitar and juggle just about anything he can get his hands on.