Ankle flexibility for runners, rowers and S&F-ers (Part 1)

[CBDB]

UPDATE: Looking for the April 2024 post about Ankle Mobility? Head to healthunlocked.com/strength...

ORIGINAL POST 2022:

Welcome to lovely spring-like April on our S&F forum, and here is an opportunity to focus on a small part of your body with a huge role in mobility: the ankles.

I recently started attending to my ankle flexibility, so some of you may have read my post on Bridge10. I realised - actually through my rowing - that my ankle mobility left a lot to be desired; when rowing I could not extend my reach to the catch, this being equivalent of not being able to squat all the way down, which I also can’t…. yet!

I used to be able to, but since giving birth, two or three minor ankle injuries, and general sedentary working life style, my mobility is certainly not what it used to be when I was younger. But of course, ever since starting on the HU S&F journey 3 years ago, I know my flexibility has improved and there is still a lot I can do to improve my flexibility by focussing on my feet and ankles.

So I told myself that for the next few weeks, I will explore how I could add some exercises and drills, and add them into daily activity, wether that is walking, running, yoga or doing household chores.

For getting a baseline, I used the Dorsiflexion Ankle Mobility Test to measure my ankle flexibility, and will do this in the next few months in regular intervals. Instructions for the simple test are here in this short video:

youtu.be/U7woPNLUT3Q(Not working as expected?)

For my reference, U started at L/R 12/10 cm. Hubby is at 14/14 cm. So I’ll see if the drills make a difference.

It is suggested 9-13 is normal, and above 13 desirable for runners.

As the first set of exercises to embed into my life, I chose a set of drills I could embed into the warm-up walks of my runs.

They are sourced from Olympic runner from Croatia, from her blog OlyRun:

10 Simple Ankle Mobility Exercises For Runners

olyrun.com/ankle-mobility-e...

They include doing 10 meters of the following:

1) Ten meters - Toe walk (walk on toes)

2) Ten meters - Heel Walk (walk on heels only)

3) Ten meters - Inversion Walk (walking on outside edges of feet)

4) Ten meters - Eversion Walk (walking on inside edges of your feet)

I’ll have added these to all my runs for in the last week week and will now move on to the next set of drills. The idea is that these should become a habit, one I remember to do on my warm-up walks or any walks.

So for anyone interested in ankle focussed strengthening and mobility, I will be dropping the series of posts on here, our Strength & Flexibility forum, going through different drills for improving ankle mobility.

So if anyone is interested, keep a watch out for these posts.

And if you want to join me in focussing on ankle mobility, why not do the Dorsiflexion Ankle Mobility Test (video above) and post your results below in order to track your progress, alongside with me! 😃💪🦶

Happy S&F-ing , everyone!

====*=====*=====*====

My own progress from starting ca 7 days ago :

★ Week 0: Left/Right 12/10 cm

★ Week 1: Left/Right 12/12 cm

★ Week 2: Left/Right 15/14 cm

====*=====*=====*====

Dorsiflexion Ankle Mobility Test, for baseline test and regular monitoring youtu.be/U7woPNLUT3Q(Not working as expected?)

Part 1: healthunlocked.com/strength...

Part 2: healthunlocked.com/strength...

Part 3: healthunlocked.com/strength...

Part 4: healthunlocked.com/strength...

SOURCE READINGS:

ARTICLE OLYRUN (website) 10 Simple Ankle Mobility Exercises For Runners. olyrun.com/ankle-mobility-e...

[LottieMW]

I finally got around to measuring! I measured after a run, working on the assumption I’d be more flexible 😉

It appears that ankle wise I’m ok…did feel it in my knees though the further out I got! My right knee is the dodgy one…🤔

Measuring ankle flexibility…

[TheTabbyCat Graduate in reply to LottieMW]

Ooo great ankle flex LottieMW👍💪.Why is it that as we get older, one bit is fine but when we look closer there's a dodgy bit along the line. Sometimes I feel like an old car, fix one thing but another wears out

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TheTabbyCat]

Yeah, but we excell in wisdom, right? (Even if my teenage son doesn’t acknowledge it 🤣🤣🤣)

[TheTabbyCat Graduate in reply to CBDB]

Oh good heavens yes! Older and wiser🙀(I could be his nana)🤣🙄

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TheTabbyCat]

🤣🤣

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to LottieMW]

Nice. It is strange that I also had uneven results in the first week, but the same in the second.

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

mine’s down to my dodgy knee…too much like a yoga lunge! 😂

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to LottieMW]

I’ll join the dodgy knees club. I do wonder about my knees. I can run, walk and row without any issues, but the moment I do a lunge with knees over the ankle, they protest in pain. Does that sound like your knees?

I must look into if there is anything I can do to improve on that. (On the other hand, we can also skip deep lunges 🤣🤣)

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

I decided mine was a repetitive strain type thing as it’s mostly my right knee…due I think to getting in and out of a car several times a day for over 20 years! Now I’m not rushing to do visits, I try to keep my legs together and swivel on the seat…instead of one leg at a time and putting a twisty pressure on that right knee.

My Dad needed 2 hip replacements for osteoarthritis…so I’m mindful of that…my knees do creak going downstairs in the morning!

I think you know that I’m always complaining about Adriene’s lunges here!

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to LottieMW]

Adrienne’s lunges… yeah 😂😂😂

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

🙄😫😂

[TheTabbyCat Graduate]

Thanks for this CBDB, I've just tried to measure and both my ankles get to 13 cm! That's a surprise as the rest of me definitely won't pass any sort of "MOT",lol .

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TheTabbyCat]

Nice! There you go! Flexibility is not bad at all!

[TheTabbyCat Graduate in reply to CBDB]

I put that tiny bit of flexability down to my shoes, they are designed to make you walk by putting your heel down first and rolling your foot. ( the ad said that they work your butt muscles! Yet to be proven,lol)🤣👣

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TheTabbyCat]

Interesting! what make is shoes are they?

[TheTabbyCat Graduate in reply to CBDB]

The type I've been wearing for the last 4, or so years are SGmax and TechnoTraining. This year I'm going to try without them. I had terrible problems, I had to learn how to walk again, the 1st time after 18 months in a wheelie for a broken ankle while I was waiting for 2 hip replacements. I'd just begun to do Nordic walking with a PT, when I fell at home and cracked my pelvis another 30 days bedridden before I could begin again. I'm telling you this because I'm sure that these shoes helped me walk correctly ✔️

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TheTabbyCat]

oh gosh! It sounds do like you had quite a journey!

But so good to read you’re up and about again! 💪👏👏👏

[TheTabbyCat Graduate in reply to CBDB]

🙏.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

★ Week 0: Left/Right 12/10 cm

★ Week 1: Left/Right 12/12 cm

★ Week 2: Left/Right 15/14 cm

How is everyone else doing?

[TheTabbyCat Graduate]

Corr CBDB that's an improvement already👏 Have you noticed any improvement when you're rowing yet?

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TheTabbyCat]

Yes, I think I do. The only thing is that when measuring the distance between the toes and the wall, it feels like quite an inexact science. E.g. did I try harder in the later weeks than in the earlier weeks?

But even if the actual improvement is only a fraction of what I measured, it’s likely going in the right direction, so all good.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

Measurements 8 April 2024 (after not attending to ankle mobility for at least a year):

Right: 8.5

Left: 12

So 3.5 cm difference! 😳 No wonder I’m noticing it, as it’s obviously gotten worse!