Prehab/Rehab for The Ankles || Coach Mark
Ankles, ankles, ankles! I cannot emphasize enough the importance of ankle mobility. Think 
about it, our feet and ankles are the foundation on which we perform 90% of movements.Whether that’s in a CF gym or simply walking around our homes/communities. Take a simple movement like the squat, for example. If we lack appropriate ankle dorsiflexion (our ability to bend forward at the ankle joint), it throws off the entire movement system. We may begin to compensate by exaggerating hip flexion which in turn, creates unwanted torque (due to a greater moment arm) in our low back. The image shown demonstrates an individual with poor ankle dorsiflexion (stick figure on the left), and another who demonstrates appropriate ankle mobility (stick figure on the right). Below are a few exercises to help us improve our ankle mobility and ultimately, our performance.
- Soft tissue/Foam roll:
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- Gastrocs, anterior tibialis, plantar surface of foot
- Start your session off with some foam rolling of the calves (Gastrocs), soft tissue near the shins (anterior tibialis), and the underside of the foot with a hard ball (plantar surface of foot)
- Use longer strides vs shorter to maximize the movement of fluids into and out of the targeted tissue(s)
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- Goblet squat stretch
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- 2 sets of 30 sec hold
- Holding a weight, place elbows on knees in the bottom position to force knees out (deeper stretch)
- You can also lean towards either side to really focus on one ankle at a time
- Keep the heels down!!
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- Box/chair ankle stretch
- 2 sets (per side) of 10 ankle pumps
- Using a stool/chair/box, prop one foot up while placing your other leg in a lunge position
- Perform 10 ankles pumps, taking the ankle to end range of motion (or until the heel starts popping up)
- KEEP THE HEELS DOWN!!
- You may also hold at end range of motion for 20-30 seconds to continue stretching the gastrocs
- Place a weight on top of the knee to use as leverage when moving into the deeper positions