Inversion (also known as pronation) is the movement of turning the foot so that the sole faces inwards.It is a good muscle to strength to help reduce overpronation.The posterior tibialis exercise targets this muscle specifically by combining the two movements which it performs.They should be done with the knee straight and bent to target both the larger gastrocnemius soleus muscles.There are many variations and resistance machines are also available. The calf raise is a widely used exercise to strengthen the calf muscles.Protect the lateral ligaments at the side until they have healed. If you have an ankle sprain then only up and down movements should be done initially.Exercises can be performed seated or standing.They will help to increase movement at the joint and also pumping the ankle up and down will help reduce swelling.Active mobility exercises where the athlete physically moves the joint through a range of motion are often done early on.Still looking to improve your ankle mobility as a CrossFit athlete? Check out our Invictus Athlete Online Program.Īre you over 35? Check out Invictus Masters. As long as you stay persistent and committed, you will reap the benefits of great ankle mobility and feel way more comfortable at the bottom of your squat! Practice these mobility exercises daily for best results. This will force the ankle into a more aggressive stretch. To make this stretch more passive, find a slam ball or kb and set it on the knee of the ankle you are flossing. Floss the joint by bending and extending it multiple times. Pull your foot forward until you feel tension pulling the band into the ankle. Attach the band to a low post and sling it through the ankle. If you are not comfortable in the bottom of a squat, try lunging your weight forward to accomplish the same goal of creating good flexion in the ankle.Ī third thing you can do is floss the ankle with a band. Keep both heels planted on the ground as you shift your weight from side to side forcing the ankle into deeper dorsiflexion as seen below. If you are able, sit at the bottom of a squat.
Shift your hips forward to force the ankle into a flexed position. An easy option would be putting your toes up on a wall or some vertical surface with your heel on the floor. Toes to the wallĪfter rolling, the next step would be to stretch the ankles into a flexed position. If you feel extra tight at any point, sit and breath holding pressure over that spot. Apply pressure and move your foot all about. Stand with one foot firmly planted on the ground and the other on top of a lacrosse ball. With a similar strategy, do the same thing on the heel of your foot. After spending about 2 minutes on this area, switch legs and do the same thing to your other leg. Apply pressure to the ball as you roll it up, down, forward and back over the muscles of your calves. You want to have direct pressure on these areas so the best ankle mobility tools are going to be a lacrosse ball or a barbell. Sit on your butt, cross one leg over the other and start by placing your calf on a lacrosse ball. Start by breaking up the tissue in that area by rolling the bottom of your heel and the meat of your calves. Tight calves and fascia can really restrict the ankle joint. Here are a few ankle strengthening exercises you can use to help you achieve better ankle mobility and improve your squat position.įirst, start by rolling the surrounding areas. How well are you able to achieve flexion? If the answer is that you have a 90-degree angle happening at your ankles, then you may need to spend more time on mobility in that area. The foundation of most of our movement is in our feet, so if your chest is dumping forward drastically when you air squat, take a closer look at your ankle flexibility. To achieve the perfect squat, we must first be able to achieve proper range of motion in our ankles.