The 3 Best Exercises to Improve Ankle Mobility
Ankle mobility, specifically dorsiflexion, is a range of motion that is vital not only for everyday movements like walking and jumping but also plays an important role in the gym. Limited ankle dorsiflexion is shown to reduce the athlete’s ability to squat, single leg squat, perform lateral movements, and even jumping and landing exercises. Do you ever notice difficulty with these movements but can’t seem to figure out why? Your ankle mobility might be the answer.
What is Ankle Mobility?
Ankle mobility is extremely important for how the lower extremity functions. The two major movements are ankle dorsiflexion (think lifting your toes and foot off the ground) and ankle plantar flexion (think pointing your toes and foot away). There are other motions associated with ankle mobility but for the purpose of this blog we will focus on the two major movements mentioned above.
Why is Ankle Mobility Important?
Having proper ankle mobility is incredibly important because if the ankle isn’t function properly, you will be limited in a long list of movements and can also start to develop compensation patterns that lead to injury.
- Point 1: Limited ankle dorsiflexion has been shown to impact the angle of the knee during normal walking motions. This increase in dynamic knee valgus can lead to ACL injuries, patellofemoral (kneecap) pain, and an increased likelihood for knee arthritis down the road.
- Point 2: Having limited ankle mobility can make exercises like squats, single leg squats, and dynamic exercises in the gym difficult along with making the athlete more prone to injuries.
- Point 3: Aside from injury prevention, having proper ankle mobility can greatly improve your technique for lifting heavy, increase your athletic ability and ultimately get you more results out of your training program.
What Causes Stiff Ankles?
Before diving into the exercises, I think it’s important to understand what causes poor ankle mobility. The most common reason that I see is previous injuries or surgeries. At the top of the list is ankle sprains, Achilles injuries, and previous fractures that required the ankle to be immobilized for a period of time. These injuries don’t need to be severe to cause a loss of ankle mobility. We see a loss of mobility and range of motion even with very mild ankle sprains.
Sorry ladies, but another reason that can lead to a loss of ankle mobility is the adaptation to poor shoe wear habits, especially if high heels are a part of your normal routine.
With all those reasons that can cause poor ankle mobility, we have a few exercises and drills that can help get you on the right track to correcting this issue and improving your ankle health. I prefer to do these in order as they build off one another.
Self-Myofascial Release to the Calf and Plantar Fascia
- Start with a global approach and roll the entire length of the muscle for about 30-60 seconds.
- If you find any sensitive spots, hit each of those spots for an extra 15-20 seconds.
- When you are on those sensitive spots you can pump the ankle up and down 10-12 times on each individual spot.
- Then roll the bottom of your foot with a tennis/lacrosse ball for 60 seconds.
This video by Mike Reinhold is pretty good from :47-2:02
½ Kneeling Dorsiflexion
This exercise is great for stretching out the Achilles, joint capsule, and tight tissues around the posterior aspect of the ankle.
- In a half kneeling position drive the knee over the second toe until you feel a stretch in the Achilles area. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times each side.
- Then repeat this stretch with a dynamic approach gliding the knee forward for 10-12 reps and repeat 2-3 times per side.
- Make sure that your knee isn’t going inside your big toe as we want to maintain proper knee and arch position during this stretch. Using a dowel or stick of some kind you can place that in front of your big toe and then make sure your knee goes outside of it.
A good video to show the visual of the dowel
Push Up Position Ankle Rocks
I like this exercise a lot because it focuses on a more dynamic stretching of the tissues around the ankle and incorporates the integration of the core.
1. Make sure your upper body is in a proper push up position, so we don’t get lazy and cause a shoulder injury.
2. Once in a good position, put one ankle over the other for some added pressure, and you can rock forward and back 10-12 times.
Repeat 2-3 rounds, alternating each side.
Short-Term Solution: Elevated Heels
Okay, so you’ve determined that you need some improvement to your ankle mobility but don’t want to stop training. No problem, we’ve all been there. Here is my favorite hack, use some small weight plates (or if your gym has a heel plate) to elevate the heels and give yourself a better angle at the ankle while you are lifting weights. Now we can’t rely on this forever, but this should allow you to get better range of motion with your lifts while you continue to improve your ankle mobility along the way.
FAQs
How long does it take to improve ankle mobility?
The length of time required to improve your ankle mobility is unique to each person’s starting point, how much mobility you are lacking, potential causes, other health factors, and current exercise routine. What I do know from my experience working with patients and athletes over my career is that people often see fast results when they are consistent. Doing ankle mobility exercises 2-3 times per week I would suggest as the minimum to see fast improvement.
Why does ankle mobility matter for squats?
If you don’t have proper ankle mobility, good luck ever seeing significant progress with your squats. In simple terms, if you are lacking ankle dorsiflexion you will push your hips and torso behind your center of gravity and that will make it difficult to ever get the proper depth for a squat. You can see in the image below, as the amount of ankle dorsiflexion increases, so does the depth of the squat. But without that range of motion, you can say bye-bye to your squat form.
When Should I Incorporate Mobility into My Program?
Unless you have been evaluated and diagnosed with hypermobility, I think everyone can benefit from some ankle mobility exercises in their program. At a minimum, it should help to prevent injuries that could occur from lack of mobility and will often times improve your athletic performance.
How Much Range of Motion Do I Need?
The amount of ankle motion that you need depends on what activities you enjoy doing. If you want to be able to walk your dog around your neighborhood without causing compensation elsewhere you would need about 20 degrees of dorsiflexion in the ankle. If you like to perform weighted squats in your workout program, you will need closer to 35 degrees of dorsiflexion.
Work On Your Mobility With a Trained Professional!
Regardless of what activities you enjoy doing, proper ankle mobility is important to prevent injuries and increase performance. Your first step should be to get properly evaluated so you know what the specific issue is, and then you can create the appropriate treatment plan.
As a Chicago based Sports Chiropractor, I have been able to help tons of patients improve their ankle mobility and get back to the gym fast. You can schedule a consultation with me at the information below, or I can help you find a practitioner in your area.
Dr. Kyle Grisius
Chiropractic Physician, Owner
