Ankle Flexibility for Rowers, Runners & Walkers (Part 3): Down Dog - The best Yoga pose for ankle mobility

[CBDB]

Over the past few weeks, I have started to do some targeted exercises and drills focussing on ankle flexibility. And I have seen some improvements already, even though measuring the extent of my flexibility (via the Dorsiflexion Ankle Mobility Test, link below ) is quite an inexact science.

But it certainly is going in the right direction, and so here I continue on this journey.

My criteria for choosing these exercises:

- They should be able to be easily integrated into already established routines, so they become part of the things I just do (e.g. add them to my walks?)

- They should be fun

- They should slowly increase my ankle flexibility?

These next three exercises are stretches to do when inside; the sitting ones maybe when watching TV or relaxing.

8) Down Dog or Dynamic Calf Stretch (see pic) - in your Down Dog, as Adriene Michele from YWA says, “walk it out” by stretching out your calves in a walking-on-the-spot fashion, or as OlyRun suggests, lift and lay one leg on the calf of the other and then lift and lower your heel.

I think the Down Dog one can be integrated into a daily stretch, a post-run or post-row stretch, or within a daily yoga or Pilates practice.

Down Dogs are quite known to me, and they have always seemed a great stretching and strengthening exercise, stretching not only your leg muscles but also shoulders and arms whilst using the body weight for strengthening.

9) Sitting on your feet, toes stretched out

10) Sitting on your feet, toes tucked under

Both these are really hard for me, so positioning yourself slowly into this pose by first on all fours and then slowly sitting back, and then slowly leaning back and putting more and more weight into your sitting position is the way I approach it. But it’s by far not perfect.

But doing them in the evening whilst watching TV seems perfect, as I might have then the patience to take myself into the position really slowly.

One thing that I find important is not to forget the warming up before this stretch.

So let’s see how this week goes with adding these!

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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...

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My progress from starting to embedding various drills walks and runs over the last few weeks:

★ Week 0: Left/Right 12/10 cm

★ Week 1: Left/Right 12/12 cm

★ Week 2 post run: Left/Right 15/14 cm

★ Week 2 before run: Left/Right 15/13 cm