M. Suzanne Terry

Oh, Fall.  You’re so pretty. The leaves change color, repainting the landscape. The skies are more often overcast, giving an all-day complexity to its palette that we usually have to wait for sunrise or sunset to see. And there is a chill in the breeze, making it less common for people to turn into hot, sweaty messes between their cars and their offices.

Fall fashion is my favorite. I love the deep, rich colors that always seem to accompany the decadence of the season. I love layering. And we all know of my love of boots.

When I was taking dance classes, I took the long muscles in my legs and calves for granted. After I graduated and got a job, changing dance to a hobby rather than a responsibility, my body changed. Normally, this would not be cause for alarm.  Bodies change over time.  That’s just what they do.

But this change – this thickening of my calves – affected my shoe choices.

Unacceptable.

I keep my legs – specifically my lower legs – in shape. Even if the rest of my body is a little more on the softer side than I like, I am fanatical about my legs. Maybe it’s the years of dance training that have ingrained the ten-minute stretch at bedtime into my routine. Maybe it’s the memory of shin splints that spur me to strengthening exercises so that such pain can be avoided in the future. Maybe it’s the observation of the reduced mobility of older relatives that terrifies me to the core of my being and jolts me off the couch.

Maybe it’s those things. But frankly, I think it’s the boots.

There are a lot of videos out there that will show you how to get strong, muscular calves. These are not the videos for me. I want long and lean, not ripped. Bodybuilders’ calves don’t fit into badass boots; (most) dancers’ calves do.

This video is a good mix of the exercises I do. I have sensitive ankles and knees, so I have to be careful to avoid hyperextension. Really, it’s a good idea for everyone to avoid hyperextension, and it’s easy to fall into with anything that involves standing in a way that is not strictly flat-footed (i.e., pretty much every exercise in this video), so be careful that your lifting up and lowering down are aligned properly.

Welcome, Fall.  My boots and I are happy to see you.

I’m committing to 31 days of movement.  Click the button below to see the rest!