Will a Cross Trainer Make My Calf Strain Worse? - Our Guide

Most very physically active people will experience a calf strain at some point during their fitness, this can be caused by running or overuse of the calf area and will most likely have to be seen by a physician. 

If it turns out that you have a calf strain, you will be told to rest for a period by your doctor, during this time you can do stretching exercise, but after this period you will be to reintegrate light exercising too, and a cross trainer is a great low-impact choice to exercise with. 

How Do You Look After a Calf Strain?

If you suspect you have a calf strain your doctor will likely have to do an x-ray or a kind of scan to see how bad the strain is. This will help you to understand how bad your strained calf muscle is and the exact time frame to rest it for. 

Most likely, your doctor will give you a RICE protocol to follow before you can start getting back into exercising again with previous calf injuries. 

• Rest - Depending on how bad the persistent calf strain is you might be on crutches or told to avoid activity other than walking. 
• Ice - You will often be told to ice your calf strain within respectable time after the injury to stop swelling from occurring. 
• Compression - Wrapping your calf muscle can also help to bring down swelling.
• Elevation - A strained muscle like your calf should always be elevated for better healing.

What Exercises Can You Do With a Calf Strain? 

When workout time comes after doing RICE with your calf strain, you cannot hop straight back into high-impact running again to prevent future calf injury, instead, you will be told to stick to light low impact exercises so as the healing process can continue. 

• Swimming - Swimming is perfect for someone with a strained calf who wants a form of exercise that will not trigger the injury. 
• Rowing - Rowing stops you from bearing weight on your legs and is a great form of cardio.
• Cross-training - Since most of the time your feet do not leave the pedals, a cross trainer is a form of great low-impact cardio.

• Stretches - Stretches are important while your strained calf is healing and in the period after, it helps with rehab and to re-strengthen your muscle. 

Can a Cross Trainer Cause Calf Pain?

It is very possible in some cases that a cross trainer can cause calf pain if used incorrectly or in excess. We have listed the common causes for calf pain from a cross trainer below if you suspect this might be the culprit. 

• You didn't stretch - Stretching before and after a cross trainer workout is very important as it predominantly works the lower body, always stretches your calves out before and after to minimise the chances of injury during workout time. 
• Too much resistance - Moving backwards on your cross trainer with too much resistance can strain the soleus muscle in your calves which will gradually get worse over a few days to come. 
• No pacing - It is important to have rest days in between your cross trainer workouts and move up resistance slowly, this way you give your body a chance to recover and avoid calf pain. 
• It's DOMS - DOMS happens when your body is repairing microscopic muscle tears after a workout. It can last up to three days but typically is not a big reason for concern.
• You are wearing the wrong shoes - If you are not wearing the right support while using your machine then this can indeed lead to injury on your legs or feet, make sure your shoes have supportive soles for this kind of exercise.

Last Words 

To conclude, you can use a cross trainer after a calf strain with your doctor's approval for light exercise, always ease yourself back into the exercise slowly and stretch beforehand and after to reduce the chances of injury and pain (but not if you have Achilles Tendonitis). 

We also recommend resting your calf strain for a period before starting exercise again, as this can make your recovery slower if you do not give yourself time to heal properly.