The surprising link between calf muscles and dementia

Strong calves for a strong mind: how they support our circulation and brain health, with easy moves to strengthen yours at home.

An older man doing squat exercises in his home

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By Becky Fuller | Published - 30 Oct 2025

Keeping fit as we age is great for our health, and strength training has many benefits, including keeping us mobile, protecting bone density, and preserving lean muscle mass.

The link between physical health and overall health is well documented – exercise improves heart health, boosts metabolism and elevates mood, and new research now suggests that building strength in your calf muscles could even help lower the risk of dementia.

What do the calf muscles do?

Calf muscles do a lot more than just help you walk. Located at the back of the leg, the calf is actually two muscles. The gastrocnemius lies closest to the skin, and the soleus sits underneath it. Calves perform the following functions:

Help you move – Walking, getting out of a chair, going up or down stairs. Every time you move, the calves are working.
Keep you stable – Calf muscles prevent you from wobbling or falling over by providing stability and supporting balance and coordination.
Support circulation – The soleus is also known as “the second heart”, since it plays a crucial role in pumping blood back up through the veins and keeping the circulation in our legs going.
Boosts brain health – Good circulation supports a healthy brain, and studies suggest stronger leg muscles can slow cognitive decline.

The link between calf strength and brain health

It’s commonly known that regular exercise lowers your risk of dementia. But scientists have now found that stronger leg muscles – and particularly calf muscles – are a good sign of better brain health. In fact, some studies suggest that weaker calves could be linked to a higher risk of developing dementia.

This is because of how the body and brain are connected. When you move your legs (through exercise such as walking, running, or squats), the soleus pumps blood back up towards the heart and brain. This blood carries oxygen and nutrients, helping to keep the brain sharp.

If your calf muscles are weak then that pump isn’t as effective, meaning circulation slows down. Over time, this means the brain isn’t getting the oxygen-rich blood that it needs, which may affect how well it functions.

A woman having a consultation with a medical professional about brain health — Image credit: GettyImages

Why we need to build our calf strength as we age

Our lean muscle mass starts to decline from about age 35 onwards. This process – known as sarcopenia – accelerates as we age and for women even more so as we go through menopause. It’s crucial to do some form of strength work on at least two days per week (as the NHS recommends) to combat this.

Better leg strength won’t just protect against general cognitive decline. Studies have shown that higher lean muscle mass in the legs and arms can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, and research has shown that older adults with stronger legs perform better on memory and thinking tests.

But leg strength also helps reduce blood pressure, since the soleus helps improve circulation, so the heart works more effectively. It also means we stay more mobile for longer – the legs contain large muscles capable of exerting a lot of power to help us get in and out of a chair, or off the toilet unaided, for example. Strong legs help prevent falls, reduce fracture risk, and long-term will improve our ability to continue walking unaided.

How to strengthen your calf muscles

The good news is you don’t need to spend hours in a gym to build muscle. Any activity that keeps you moving and using your leg muscles can help, from gardening to daily dog walks.

The key is consistency. Doing small amounts of strength work for your legs a few times a week will make a huge difference. If the idea of an hour-long walk doesn’t appeal, then don’t do it. Do the vacuuming for ten minutes, then walk ten minutes to the shop later on, or try a short exercise video at home. Aim to:

Stand up often – Sitting for long stretches can reduce blood flow to the legs so take breaks and move about.
Walk more – Regular walking, even in short ten-minute bursts, improves circulation and leg strength.
Add some strength exercises – Try the exercises below to strengthen calf muscles.

5 calf-strengthening exercises to try

Try these exercises at home to improve the function of the calf muscles. Aim for 10-12 repetitions of each, and to perform 2-3 rounds.

Calf raises

Stand tall with your tummy tight, shoulders back and down.
Hold on to a chair or solid surface for support if needed.
Rise up onto the toes and slowly lower back down with control.

Seated calf raises

Sit upright on the edge of a hard-backed chair with good posture.
Rise onto the toes and slowly lower back down with control.
Try extending one leg and rising onto the toes of the other leg.

Static lunges

Take one leg forward, and one leg back.
Hold on to a chair or solid surface for support if needed.
Slowly drop the back knee towards the floor (it doesn’t have to touch it) so the front knee is bent at roughly 90°.
Pushing through the front foot, rise back up to the starting position, then repeat.

Squats

Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly turned out, tummy tight.
Squat down, as if you were trying to sit onto a low chair.
Keep the knees pushed out and chest lifted as you go down and then come back up, squeezing your leg muscles.
If this is too difficult, try the chair squats below.

Chair squats

Stand slightly in front of a hard chair with your feet slightly wider than your hips, tummy tight.
Squat down until you feel your backside touch the edge of the chair, then stand back up.
Keep the knees pushed out and chest lifted as you go.

Written by: Becky Fuller

Becky Fuller is a fully qualified Personal Trainer, specialising in strength and conditioning for over 50s. Becky’s focus is helping people to become stronger both in body and mind, and to move well without pain.
Becky also has many years’ experience working as a freelance journalist.

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