So a couple posts ago, I showed you some excellent stretches for the muscles surrounding the knee joint that are essential for knee rehab. Stretching the calf muscles–gastrocnemius and soleus–is a major part of this rehab, especially if the knees hurt. Starting with the downward facing dog is a good, safe bet; but once some length is achieved in these muscles (and, if rehabbing, once stability sets in) you can then take the calf stretches to the next level.
In this video, I demonstrate what I find to be the best calf stretches one can do. Very important to hit both calf muscles, and I find that the soleus is often over-looked. When the soleus is left un-stretched, it can lead to things like soleus strain, Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis.
Watch the video to learn some easy and effective stretches you can do regularly at home. Have fun.