Whether you’re a tennis junkie, social football player; training for your first half marathon, or embarking on a new fitness regime of walking or running, a calf strain can be a major hinderance to your New Years fitness plans. What is a calf strain? The calf complex comprises of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles and their main role is to point the foot and push off the ground to propel you up and forward during walking, running and jumping. The soleus muscle is the most commonly affected in acute strains as it makes up the bulk of the calf muscle and is subjected to forces that are 6-8 x your body weight when running! The severity of tear can be graded from 1-3 with 1 being mild and involving only a few muscle fibers affected. You might feel like you've 'tweaked' or 'pulled' your muscle. The muscle can feel tight and tender, but overall strength and flexibility is well maintained. Grade 2 can involve up to...