Ankle mobility is extremely important for runners. It helps prevent unwanted strains and injuries that can hamper or event completely prevent you from running.
Risks of Tight Ankles
Maybe you think that you can just lace on your shoes and run right out of the door without working on your ankle mobility?
So what are the risks of tight ankles?
- Knee pain and injury – without flexible ankles, you can properly bend your knees while running. This causes your knees to take the brunt of the force while running. The extra shear stress can cause a lot of pain and even injury.
- Weak glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles – inflexible ankles mean that you can properly keep your heels on the ground while running. This means that you are putting a lot more work on your quads while running and at the same time not putting as much work on your posterior muscle groups.
- Hip and lower back pain – building on your knee pain, you can also experience hip and lower back pain as you body attempts to overcompensate for your tight ankles.[1]Paleohacks – 7 Soothing Stretches for Ankle Mobility
Ankle Stretches
One of the best ways to increase your ankle mobility is through ankle stretching.
Ankle Circles
A great way to get back some mobility into your ankles is through ankle circles.
You can either place your foot on a roller or over your knee.
Then slowly turn your ankles clock-wise 10 times, followed by counterclockwise 10 times.
If this gets too easy for you, try tracing the letters of alphabet with your feet.[2]healthline – 12 Stretch and Strength Moves for Ankle Mobility
Knee to Wall
Knee to wall is a great way to statically work on your ankle mobility.
Start by placing your toes about 2 inches away from the wall.
Slowly bend your knee so that it approaches the wall, while staying above your foot.
Make sure to go slowly and not to hurt yourself.
Over time, it should get easier to touch your knee to the wall, while keeping your heel on the floor.[3]barbend – 6 Stretches and Warm-ups to Improve Ankle Mobility
Toes to Wall
Toes to wall is a great way to get a deep stretch in your ankles.
Start by placing your toes up against a wall.
Slowly lean forward so that you feel a stretch on your heel and calves.[4]Invictus Blog – IMPROVE YOUR ANKLE MOBILITY WITH THESE ANKLE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
Ankle Massage
After stretching, massage is a great way to further improve you ankel mobility.
Foam Rolling the Calves
One of the easiest ankle mobility drills is foam rolling your calves.
Work the full calf for around 30 seconds. If you find an area of extra tightness focus on that area for an additional 10 seconds.
Make sure work both the medial and lateral sides of your calves to get the full effect.[5]MikeReinold – Ankle Mobility Exercises to Improve Dorsiflexion
Plantar Foot Massage
Another great area to focus on for better ankle mobility is actually your plantar fascia on the bottom of your foot.
This is because it is a flat band of tissue that connect your toes to your heel.
If this area gets really tight, you can experience quite a bit of pain and inflexible ankles.
A great way to work the planar fascia is by rolling a small ball (such as a tennis ball) around the bottom of your foot. You can stand on the ball to add additional pressure.[6]Movement Enhanced – 5 Exercises for Ankle Mobility
Building Ankle Strength
The next important step to building flexible ankles is proper strength building.
Ankle Raises
Ankle raises are a great way to build strength back into this area.
You can do them by putting your feet together and slowly raising up as high as you can on your toes.
Afterwards, lower yourself slowly back down to the ground.
Start with 10 to 15 raises. As you get better, you can slowly add more.
Exercise Band
Ankle exercises with the band is a great way to add a bit of extra resistance training.
Place the band around something sturdy. The other end should go around your ankle.
Move forward until you feel a bit of tension.
Then lunge forward until your knee is over your foot.
Repeat for 5 to 10 reps per foot.[7]wikihow – How to Increase Ankle Mobility
Another way to do them is also to attach both ends your your ankles.
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