Improve Ankle Mobility
When we think of becoming more mobile and pain-free, we usually tend to focus on the larger muscles and joints. The hips, shoulders, back, and so on.
But what about your ankles?
Why would I waste my time working on the mobility and flexibility of such a small joint you might ask?
Well, because your ankles are more important than you think!
When you think about it, most exercises we do, the sports we play, and day to day tasks we perform, our ankles are the only thing in contact with the ground.
The body is a chain and if the things at the bottom aren’t working the way they’re supposed to, we can have a lot of problems with the muscles and joints above them.
What causes poor ankle mobility?
Flexibility issues: Usually with the muscles of the calf
Pelvic tilt posture: If you slouch a lot, the body’s center of mass is forward which causes the ankle to plantarflex to balance it out
Ankle joint restriction: From a result of a tight joint capsule
Other lower body stiffness/injury: An injury or tightness in the hips, knees, or lower back may cause the ankle to tighten up in an attempt to take the discomfort out of your other injuries/stiffness.
How do I know if I have poor ankle mobility?
Not sure if your ankles are up to par?
Here are a few tests!
1) Do a few bodyweight squats. Do your heels come off the ground before you reach the bottom? A telltale sign of poor ankle mobility is if your heels routinely come off the ground.
2) Stand straight with your feet together. Can you lift the ball of your foot off the ground without moving your body?
3) Knee to wall test: Place a piece of tape or measure five inches from a wall. Make sure your foot is pointed forward and try to touch your knee to the wall without your heel coming off the ground or your knee leaving the straight path.
With these tests you may find that one ankle is stiffer than the other, that is completely normal!
How do I improve ankle mobility?
There a ton of resources, videos, and routines online to get you started with ankle mobility. But here are two quick and easy drills to get started.
Foam roll: If you have a foam roller at home this is a great place to start. The harder the roller the better. Lay on the ground and place your ankle on the roller. Roll up and down your entire calf and Achilles’ tendon for 1-2 minutes. If you find a tender spot (you most likely will) focus on that spot for an extra 30 seconds. This may hurt but trust us it helps a lot!
Heel Raises: This is a quick and easy drill that is simple to perform. Simply place your toes on a slight incline, if you have any 5lb plates this works great but if not, a towel could work. Move into dorsiflexion by bending your knees and flexing your calves. Increase the incline as you progress.
Ankle mobility is going to help you perform squats, deadlifts, and almost every other exercise better! It’s going to improve your athletic performance whether you are a runner, biker, soccer player, basketball player, cross fitter or anything in between. But most importantly, it’s going to help you prevent other injuries which at the end of the day is the most important.