5 Ankle Mobility Exercises You Need To Start Doing Today

Dorsiflexion is one of the two main movements of the ankle joint. This happens when the top of your foot comes closer to your shin (shin bone). Consider flexing or contracting your toes toward your nose.

Dorsiflexion is essential to perform many movements safely. This is important when your heel hits the ground during the initial contact phase of walking and running. Dorsiflexion is also important for squatting, walking down stairs, and maintaining balance.

Limited ankle dorsiflexion can make it more difficult to move through your ankle’s normal range of motion and increase your risk of injury. When one part of your body is limited in its movement, other parts try to help you by moving differently. This can lead to new limitation, pain, or injury elsewhere in the body, such as the knees, hips, or back.

The normal range of motion for ankle dorsiflexion is approximately 20 degrees. You can reliably assess your range of motion at home using the weight-bearing lunge test.

This method involves measuring how far you can lunge toward a wall while keeping your heel on the ground and reaching your knee as close to the wall as possible.

To perform this test, follow these steps:

1. Start by facing a wall with the ankle you are testing in front, your big toe touching the wall. Place your other foot comfortably behind.
2. Try bending your front knee forward to touch the wall without lifting your heel off the floor.
3. If you can touch the wall with your knee without lifting your heel, step your front foot back slightly, then repeat the lunge. Repeat until you reach the farthest point where you can perform the lunge with your front knee touching the wall and heel flat.
4. Use a tape measure to measure the distance from the tip of your big toe to the wall. Record the distance in centimeters.
5. To convert the distance in centimeters to degrees of ankle dorsiflexion, use the guideline that 1 centimeter equals approximately 2 degrees of ankle dorsiflexion. For example, if you measure 9 centimeters from your big toe to the wall, that represents approximately 18 degrees of ankle dorsiflexion.

These exercises can help improve your ankle dorsiflexion by increasing your mobility and strength.

Standing Calf Stretch

Your gastrocnemius and soleus are the two main muscles that make up your calf muscle. If your calf muscle is too tight, it can pull too hard on your heel, making it difficult to bend your foot upward. Stretching your calf can release tension and improve dorsiflexion limitations in your ankle.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall for support.
2. Place the leg you want to stretch behind you. Bend your front knee slightly.
3. To stretch your gastrocnemius muscle, keep your back leg straight. To stretch your soleus muscle, bend your back knee.
4. Lean forward against the wall until you feel a stretch in the back of your leg.
5. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat two to three times.

CAR ankle

Controlled joint rotations, or CAR, is an exercise that helps move your joint through its full range of motion in a slow, controlled manner to improve stiffness and mobility.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Sit on a chair or sofa with your foot dangling.
2. Imagine drawing a circle in the air with your toes. Slowly move your foot in a circle, allowing only your ankle to move and not your entire leg.
3. Make 10 circles in one direction (clockwise) and 10 in the other direction (counterclockwise).
4. Switch feet and repeat.

Split squats

Split squats can help reduce ankle stiffness and improve range of motion by stretching the muscles in the front of your thigh (the quadriceps) and applying controlled weight to your ankle.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Start with both feet together. Step back with one foot.
2. Lower your back knee to the floor, keeping your front knee above your front ankle. Place a pillow or cushion under your back knee for additional support.
3. Push off your front foot to stand up.
4. If you want to increase the intensity of the exercise, place your back foot on a bench behind you and repeat the exercise.
5. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions on each side.

Heel raises

Heel raises are a great exercise to work your calf muscles. Strengthening your calf muscles can help improve the strength and movement ability of your ankle.

Here’s how to make them:

1. Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on the wall for support.
2. Slowly raise both heels to stand on your tiptoes.
3. Go down slowly with control.
4. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions.

Self-Release Your Calf Muscles with a Foam Roller

Foam rolling your calves can help relax tight muscles and release tension in your calves. By eliminating tight spots, you can help your ankle move more freely.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you, resting one leg on the foam roller.
2. Using your hands to support yourself behind your body, push up with your arms so your hips are off the floor.
3. Slowly rock your body so the foam roller stays in the area from the back of your knee to the back of your ankle.
4. Roll the muscle like this for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat two to three times on each side.

Adding these ankle dorsiflexion stretches and strengthening exercises to your exercise routine can help improve mobility, reduce discomfort or pain, and prevent injuries. When working on these stretches and strengthening exercises, follow these approaches:

• Stretch first: If your muscles are tight, start with standing calf stretches and foam rolling. Try holding the stretches for 30 to 60 seconds each, repeating each stretch two to three times.
• Avoid pain: The stretch should create a slight pulling sensation. If it hurts, back off until you feel more comfortable.
• To strenghten: After a few days, when your muscles feel more relaxed, move on to strengthening exercises: Ankle CARs, split squats and heel raises. Aim for two to three sets of 10 repetitions of each.
• Use support: For any standing exercise, make sure you have something sturdy nearby (a wall, counter, or chair) to use if you feel unsteady.
• Drink water: Remember to stay hydrated when exercising.

Limited dorsiflexion can make it difficult to walk, run, and perform various other movements correctly. Incorporating ankle dorsiflexion exercises into your workout routine can help improve your ankle strength and mobility and prevent future ankle stiffness or injury.