To mobilise the left side, lie on your back, grasp your left knee and hug it firmly towards your chest for approximately 20 seconds, then rest. Repeat this procedure 5 times. Vice versa for the right side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

Rotate Hip Forwards (knee hang)

To mobilise the right side, lie on your back on a bed, sofa or table in such a way as to be able to hang your right leg off so that the knee hangs below the level of your hip. Grasp your left knee gently in order to stabilise only, relax and allow your right leg to hang down as far as possible for approximately 20 seconds - maybe wear a heavy shoe to assist this process. Repeat this 5 times. Vice versa for the left side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise. 

Sit on the edge of a bed or table in such a way that when you lie back, both knees can hang down below the level of your hips. Then grasp one knee and pull it firmly towards your chest whilst allowing the other to relax and hang down Hold this position for 20seconds, relaxing with breathing. Then swap over, grasping the other knee and allowing the opposite leg to hang down. Repeat this procedure 5 times. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

To stretch the left side, lie on your back and grasp your left knee and pull it towards you. If more stretch is required, hold your left foot with your right hand and pull both knee and ankle towards the right shoulder (this slightly rotates your thigh and ‘fine tunes’ the stretch). Hold this for approximately 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. Vice versa for the right side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

Gluteus Maximus

To stretch the left side, sit on the floor with your knees flexed and slewed over to the left. Then flex forward directly toward your left knee. Hold this for approximately 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. To increase the stretch, place your hand or a thick book underneath your ankle in order to slightly rotate your upper leg. Vice versa for the right side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

To stretch the left side, lie on your back, flex your left hip to the vertical; place your left hand on the outside of your left knee and grasp your left ankle with your right hand. Firstly use your left hand to push the knee across to the right until your pelvis just begins to roll- this is the main part of the stretch. To fine tune the stretch, pull your left foot it to the right to slightly rotate your thigh. Hold this for approximately 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. Vice versa for the right side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

Outer Hip (Gluteus medius and minimus)

To stretch the left side, sit on the floor with your knees flexed and slewed over to the left. Then flex forward directly toward your left ankle. Hold this for approximately 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. To increase the stretch, place your hand or a thick book underneath your ankle in order to slightly rotate your upper leg. Vice versa for the right side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

Make sure you are sitting up straight on your sitting bones (i.e. try to maintain the arch in your lower back) and, to stretch the left side, place your left foot onto your right knee and relax. To stretch, push down on your knee. To increase the stretch, rotate your pelvis forwards by arching your back. Hold this for approximately 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. Vice versa to stretch the other side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

Deep Gluts (piriformis)

Lying on your back, to stretch the right side, bend up your left knee, place your right ankle on it and then grasp your left knee (your right hand will need to go underneath your right shin). To increase the stretch pull your left knee toward you, allowing your right knee to relax away from you as much as possible. Hold this for approximately 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. Vice versa to stretch the other side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

Stand facing a wall and to stretch the right side, place your left foot forward and the right stretched behind you, making sure that the heel stays on the floor and leg stays completely straight. Then lean your pelvis towards the wall supporting your weight on your front foot and the wall until you feel a mild/moderate stretch. Hold this for approximately 10 seconds repeat 3 times. To increase the stretch, move your back foot further away from the wall and/or lean further forwards. Vice versa for the left side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.

NB. If a calf tear or pull is being treated, take care not to weight bear through the muscle being stretched, especially anywhere near end range- take as much of your weight as possible through the supporting leg.

Calf Muscle

Stand facing a wall near a doorframe or something that you can hold and use to pull yourself forward. Place the toes of the foot to be stretched up against the wall with you heel on the ground, keep your leg straight and pull yourself towards the wall. Hold this for approximately 10 seconds repeat 3 times. To increase the stretch pull yourself further forwards. Vice versa for the other side. To avoid injury, keep the stretch at a mild to moderate level of intensity. If you experience pain at any time, stop the exercise.