Bikini season is coming! Even though the season is all about trying some new bikinis and enjoy the Summer, there is one area that some women don’t feel comfortable with… large muscular calves. They look overly-toned, especially compared to thin ankles. And when you wear high heels, it’s even worse.
Today, we did some digging to find out how to get slim calves without building muscle.
The fastest way to reduce the size of calve muscles is calf reduction plastic surgery (not so surprising). We won’t go into detail on how this plastic surgery works, but it’s basically about blocking certain sensory/motor nerves inside the calves in order to reduce calf muscle size.
Unfortunately, this is not an option for everyone. So our search for safer(?) solutions continued. After several hours of digging, we found some ingenious ways of how to slim calves. In this post, we only talk about the BEST ways to achieve this.
The best ways to get smaller calves
Top 3 stretching moves for thin calves
- Frequent calf massages – By massaging your lower legs for at least 5-10 minutes each day (longer the better), it helps relax those overly prominent calve muscles.
- Backward feet stretches – Walking in high heels for a long period of time is the #1 contributor for swollen lower legs and wide calves. In order to reverse this, stretch your heels backwards. Hold this pose for 10 seconds each time and do it as often as you can.
- Leg lifts – Lifting your legs takes off pressure from walking/standing all day long and promotes better blood circulation. In order to do this for 5 minutes or longer, lift your legs against a wall.
Other effective ways for slimming calves
- Use your entire foot when walking – The most effective way you can incorporate into your daily life for thinner calves is to walk using your entire foot. Make sure you first land using your heels then toes – not vice versa. This will also help correct your posture.
- Calf slimming socks – My roommate swears by these magical socks. She wears them while she is sleeping and notices major differences.
- 3 other friendly exercises for reducing calf muscles: Swimming, Yoga, and Pilates (my favorite Pilates workout is this 3-disc set, which includes a complete solution from weight loss to body toning)
What NOT to do
- Avoid too much walking/running
- Avoid standing or sitting for extended periods
- Don’t cross your legs when seated
Finally, boost your workout motivation to the next level in these 18 amazing fitness leggings!
