If you're over 35 and playing 90-minute footy matches every weekend, listen up 

One of the most common injuries in middle-aged footballers?  Calf strains.

Here’s why it happens (and how to stop it happening to you):

 Too much, too soon.

 Not enough dynamic loading during the week.

 Poor tissue tolerance to high-speed work.

 Thinking your 20 years old again and as fit + fast as you were back then 

Let’s break it down:
You push hard on Saturday—accelerating, decelerating, sprinting, cutting—all at max intensity. But during the week? You’re flat-out with life: work, family, recovery... repeat.

So your calf (and the muscle–tendon unit around it) goes from 6 days of minimal load  1 day of max intensity. That’s a recipe for overload and injury.

 Here’s how to strengthen your calves:

 Add 1–2 runs per week:

• A steady 30–60 min run builds work capacity and time on feet.
• A shorter 20–30 min shuttle session with speed changes (e.g. 50m fast / 50m steady) preps your calves for game-day demands.

 No time to run? Do this instead:
Quick 10-min calf-focused session:

• Warm-up (5 min brisk walk or jog)
• Plyos: Pogos or skipping rope → 3x 30–60s
  • Start double-leg → split stance → single-leg for more challenge.
• Strength:
  • Straight-leg & bent-knee calf raises (targets different calf muscles)
  • 1–2 sets to fatigue, controlled reps, good form.

 Do this 1–2x/week, and your calves will thank you.

 Consistency > Intensity
You don’t need to train like a pro. But doing something mid-week helps you keep playing and avoid injury.

 Stay active. Stay strong. Stay in the game.