How to Increase Ankle Mobility in 3 Steps

Summary

The video script discusses the three main reasons for tight ankles: habitual use of high-heeled shoes, weak feet, and lack of movement diversity. It suggests solutions such as zero-drop shoes, strengthening foot muscles with minimalist footwear, and various mobility drills to enhance ankle function. The script emphasizes the importance of foot and ankle mobility for overall body stability and function, providing practical advice and exercises to improve ankle flexibility and strength.

Takeaways

• 🥿 Ankle tightness often results from habitual use of shoes with raised heels, leading to shortened calf muscles.
• 👟 Solution to tight ankles is wearing zero-drop shoes that don't elevate the heel, allowing for natural foot positioning.
• 🏃‍♂️ Weak feet contribute to ankle tightness by overburdening the larger muscles, such as the calf, which can lead to chronic tightness and restricted motion.
• 👣 Adopting minimalist, barefoot-style shoes like Origo can help strengthen foot muscles and improve ankle function over time.
• 🦶 A study showed that wearing minimalist footwear for six months can increase foot muscle strength by nearly 60%.
• 🤸‍♀️ Mobility drills that challenge the ankle's range of motion are crucial for maintaining joint functionality and overcoming stiffness.
• 🧘‍♂️ The assisted deep squat is a fundamental pose that can help improve ankle mobility and restore the ability to perform a deep squat.
• 🔄 Using heel wedges or similar supports can aid in ankle mobilization exercises, especially for those with tight ankles.
• 🤸‍♂️ Mobilizing the ankle joint in both flexed and extended knee positions covers its diverse movement capacity and aids in overall joint health.
• 🏋️‍♀️ The contract-relax technique can be applied during ankle mobility exercises to gain additional range of motion and address specific areas of tightness.

Q & A

What are the three primary reasons why ankles become tight?

The three primary reasons for tight ankles are habitual use of shoes with raised heels, which shorten the calf muscles; weak feet that fail to stabilize the foot and ankle complex properly, leading to overburdening of the calf muscles; and a lack of movement diversity and variability, which is crucial for maintaining joint functionality.

How do shoes with raised heels contribute to ankle tightness?

Shoes with raised heels cause the ankles to plantar flex, leading to a shortening of the calf muscles. Prolonged use of these shoes makes the calf muscles adapt to this shortened state, which becomes their default resting length and results in chronic ankle tightness.

What is the solution to ankle tightness caused by habitual use of high-heeled shoes?

The solution is to opt for shoes that have no elevation in the heel, known as zero-drop shoes. High-heeled shoes can be worn occasionally for special occasions without causing issues, but they should not be the everyday choice.

How do weak feet contribute to chronic ankle tightness?

Weak feet cannot properly stabilize the foot and ankle complex, which places a greater burden on the larger muscles, particularly the calf muscles, for stability. Overworking these muscles leads to chronic tightness and restricted motion through the ankles.

What is the significance of the foot and ankle arches in terms of body stability?

The feet and their arches form the primary line of stability and are the foundation of the entire body. If this foundation is not solid, it affects the proper functioning of everything above it.

How can minimalist, barefoot-style shoes help with ankle tightness?

Minimalist, barefoot-style shoes with flexible, zero-drop soles encourage full movement across the 33 joints in each foot, stimulating the intrinsic foot muscles and progressively strengthening them over time. They also feature an anatomical toe box design that allows toes to activate the attached muscles more effectively, enhancing their strength.

What does the University of Calgary's spring model of the foot and ankle represent?

In the University of Calgary's spring model, smaller springs symbolize the minor foot and ankle stabilizing muscles, while larger springs represent the more prominent muscles surrounding the ankle joints, such as the calf muscles. This model helps to understand the impact of weak feet on the overall stability and function of the ankle joint.

Why is it important to explore various mobility drills for the ankles?

Exploring various mobility drills is important because it prompts the ankles to utilize their full range of motion, which is crucial for maintaining joint functionality. This helps to overcome the limitations of modern, flat, and uniform terrain that does not challenge the ankle's movement capabilities.

What is the assisted deep squat drill and how does it help with ankle mobility?

The assisted deep squat is a drill that helps to force the ankle joints into full-range dorsiflexion with the help of an upright support. This support serves as a leverage point to temporarily overcome the limitation tight ankles place on the body's capacity to achieve a deep squat, thus improving ankle mobility.

How can heel wedges be used to further assist in ankle mobility exercises?

Heel wedges can be used to provide additional assistance in ankle mobility exercises, especially if the feet tend to spin out or the heels lift from the ground during the assisted deep squat. They can be adjusted to different heights and are made from a non-slip material to ensure safety and effectiveness during the exercises.

What is the dynamic version of the ankle mobility drill that involves a raised platform?

The dynamic version of the ankle mobility drill involves stepping up onto and down from a raised platform, such as a heel wedge or a book, repeatedly. This exercise helps to gain additional range of motion in the ankle while ensuring that the toes of the targeted foot remain rooted to the ground at all times.