Why Pacifica runners should care about ankle mobility

Chris Shah, Founder, Fitness Coach

Chris Shah

Founder, Fitness Coach

Limited ankle mobility is a physical liability that costs you possible knee pain along with poor mechanics.

Simply put, limited ankle mobility/dorsiflexion = knee problems.

WHY? When you don’t have adequate ankle mobility, your knee is forced to absorb more than its fair share of impact forces on each stride.

We see a correlation with knee pain and limited ankle mobility on the same side.

Assessment

Purpose:

• To access the mobility of your ankle joint. We need a mobile ankle for optimal knee health and running strides.

Setup:

• Stand facing a wall, with the toes of one foot approximately 3-4 inches away from the wall.  Stand up tall, and place your hands on the wall for support.

Performance:

• Place the weight on your front heel approximately 3-4 inches away from the wall, and gently glide the knee forward, touching the wall. Make sure to keep your heel on the ground. Pulse in and out of this position several times. Make note of any asymmetries from left or right sides.

Note: This can also be the corrective, preventative and maintenance exercise as well. Perform 12-15 glides back and forth.

Dual benefit corrective

Half kneeling hip flexor and ankle mobility mobs

Purpose:

• Improve both ankle mobility and your hip flexors length

Setup:

• Right knee down
• Left leg and foot directly on front of your body

Performance:

• Reach overhead and drive both your hip and ankle forward
• Make sure to keep heel of front foot flat on the ground. Perform 12-15 rocks back and forth on each side.

We encourage our runners to perform an ankle mobility pre-hab exercise prior to running.

Dedicated to your success,

Chris Shah