3 min read
Screening
Screening will help identify signs that your ankle mobility is holding you back. Once you have determined the origin of a problem – then you can begin working towards fixing it. A basic screen you can do on your own at home will give you an idea of potential problems. Screen one ankle at a time by getting into a kneeling lunge position as you would do for a kneeling hip flexor stretch. To screen the front leg, keep your front foot flat on the ground, being sure not to lift your heel, and drive your front knee forward over your toes. To measure your ankle mobility you can either use a ruler or measuring tape from the tip of your front foot, measuring how far your kneecap protrudes over your toes. If you lack both of these measuring tools, you can also use your fist, placing it in front and perpendicular to your big toe. If your kneecap can pass over your fist width in front of your toes, then this is a sign of a functionally normal range of dorsiflexion.
Get Low and Mobile
Improving ankle mobility will significantly improve your squat, overall strength and reduce your risk of injury. If you have tight ankles, it will be difficult to squat to a parallel without rounding your back, decreasing your power and obviously increasing the potential for strains. Our bodies are incredible adaptors and will find ways of achieving desired results. If your ankle mobility is poor, your body will still find a way to push out those heavyweights, compensating by gathering power from other joints and muscles. This can be problematic in the long run after years of repetition and increased weight bearing. So before setting that bar on your shoulders, take some time to work on your ankles first.
Try Fillers Between Sets
Strength and mobility are inherently linked, so training them together by doing mobilizations during rest periods in between sets of squats and other strength training can have positive benefits. Doing this will also you moving and keep your focussed on the training session at hand, rather than just looking around or checking your phone and losing your momentum. Engage in active rest periods between sets, stretching out on a wall or gym equipment, and working on the opposite range of motion from your lift. Ankle rocks and wall mobilizations, and using a resistance band to pull the ankle into dorsiflexion work well as fillers in between sets and will help improve your ankle mobility and the strength in your squat.
There are plenty of exercises and methods available to improve your ankle mobility, so try the screener, do some personal research and talk to your coach, personal trainer, and physiotherapist to determine the best and most time-efficient ways to improve your ankle mobility. You might also want to looking into squatting and deadlifting barefoot to allow your body to progress through its natural range of motion and to help build strength in the feet and ankle joints, though check with your physio first before diving into these activities if you have a history of ankle or joint issues.
