Ask a PT Response: "For my patients who have sustained a calf strain, I would GRADUALLY increase their activity level and intensity ie. stationary bike, walking, elliptical, jogging, running. I would often incorporate exercises which incorporate other functional related tasks into my treatment plan along with strengthening & stretching exercises and manual therapy. It can take anywhere from 2- 4 wks for a complete recovery and great care should be taken to not exacerbate the condition. My patients are instructed to back off or stop whatever activity which they are performing if they are experiencing and increase in tightness or pain at the calf. If your condition doesn't improve, it may be a good idea to see a PT. I wish you the best of luck with your recovery."