Ankle and foot mobility is essential for staying healthy and maximizing performance. The range of motion of the big toe allows for a powerful push-off and is essential for speed and jumping ability. I often see a lack of mobility in athletes of all ages and abilities. There are often asymmetries between the right and left sides, which can be the cause of injuries. Creating balance is essential. It is important to get the ankle to move properly with mobility exercises. This takes stress off of the knee and hip. Poor ankle mobility opens the athlete up to common overuse injuries such as plantar fascia and Achilles tendinitis.

Integrating ankle mobility drills as you’ll see in the next lesson is easy to include in the warm-ups or daily mobility routine. A simple way to assess ankle mobility is to put your foot on the floor approximately 6 to 8 inches away from the wall. Won’t be keeping the heel down drive the knee slowly towards the wall if you can gently touch the wall 8 to 10 times without the heel rising off of the floor then you have appropriate mobility. Do this with both legs. You’ll often find that one side is better than the other. It is important to create balance between the two sides as any imbalances can open you up to potential injury.

Runners often have poor ankle mobility. We need to find a balance between mobility, stiffness, and strength. All three need to be addressed so that the ankle will move optimally and we will have strength and stiffness to be able to run injury free.