Calf Stretch Against Wall

The calf stretch against a wall is the most accessible way to lengthen the gastrocnemius, and it needs nothing but a wall to lean on. With the hands at shoulder height, stepping one foot back and keeping that leg straight with the heel down puts the calf under a steady stretch, and pushing the hips toward the wall increases it without any need to pull with the hands. The straight rear leg is the detail that decides which muscle you reach: with the knee locked the stretch goes to the gastrocnemius, and bending it slightly shifts it to the soleus underneath. Both are worth doing. A tight calf limits ankle dorsiflexion, and that limitation shows up as a heel that lifts at the bottom of a squat and as a shortened stride when running.