Here’s a quick self-test you can try at home to get a sense of how your lower-leg strength is doing. Stand near a counter for light support if you need it, lift one foot off the ground, and slowly raise up and down on the standing leg’s heel. Count how many repetitions you can do with good control. Research suggests that fewer than twenty-five single-leg heel raises is linked to a higher risk of falls, because the calf muscles play such a big role in pushing you forward when you walk and helping you react quickly when something throws you off balance.