How do I know if I need to stretch my calf muscles?

Normally,if your calves feel tight they probably are tight and should be stretched. If you wear high heels or shoes with an elevated heel, then you most likely have tight calves. Shoes such as these place your heels higher than the front of your foot, and because your calf muscle attaches to your heels, that muscle is continually put in a shortened position and can become tight. Try this basic self-assessment on your own: try to squat down to the height of a chair while keeping your feet straight ahead. If it's difficult to do and you need to turn your feet out to squat lower, then you need to stretch your calves. Having to turn your feet out means that you lack range of motion at your ankles and that is typically due to tight calves.