The Importance of ankle mobility

Do you ever think about the importance of mobilising your ankles? 

Most people don’t give it much thought, It’s just something we take for granted. 

Unless or until the ankle mobility becomes compromised in some way. 

It's at this point that we understand just how important it is to keep our ankles moving and functioning in a healthy way.  We should make ankle mobility a part of daily routines.   

Ankle mobility is more than just being able to move your feet. It’s vital to our whole body health and wellbeing. 

As the cold winter months approach, it’s easy to forget about your feet and ankles, why? because we cover them in big fluffy socks, we put on our big winter boots, this can be really detrimental to our joints as boots don't let the ankle joint move freely like it should.
 
If we focus on improving our movement in the ankles, it can help us avoid injuries and pain in the knees, hips and lower back.!!

That’s why maintaining good healthy ankle mobility is a MUST in our Pilates sessions. 

Have you ever wonder why Emmas Pilates classes have lots of functional footwork included, such as our Heel raisers, Toe raisers, Flex and Points, the Foot Series....the list goes on when you think about all the exercises we cover.  

I do lots of work around this because if our ankles are stiff and immobile then our balance and walking gait can become compromised, leading to trips, falls and joint pain.   

How does the Ankle Work?

The ankle is a hinge joint. It’s able to move through one plane of motion called the sagittal plane. Within this there are two movements of the ankle | plantar flexion and dorsiflexion. 

Plantar flexion happens when you point your toes.  There’s a deep stretch across the top of the foot when you do this.
Then dorsiflexion occurs when the foot is flexed. If you were to stand on the ground with the heels rooted and then lift the ball of the foot away from the ground, this would be dorsiflexion.

How Is Your Ankle Mobility?

Wondering what your ankle mobility is currently like?

There are a few things you can do....
Do Pilates squat a few times (hinge at the hips, don't let the knees travel over the toes) with someone watching you or looking into a mirror.
Notice if your heels come off the ground as you squat. If they do, then that’s a sign that there are some mobility issues in the ankle joint.

Another way to test your ankle mobility is to stand up straight with your feet together and lift the ball of your foot off the ground – one foot at a time. Can you do this with little or no movement in the rest of the body? If so, you’ve got good ankle mobility.

Keep Your Ankles Strong and Healthy 
Now that you recognise the importance of mobility in your ankle joints, it might be time to focus more on getting them moving and ready for those winter months hidden in those boots.!  
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You can join in with one of or classes by checking out our website, we do studio and zoom sessions. 

thanks for reading 

Keep Moving 

​Emma x

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