Improve Ankle Flexibility: Great Exercise

[Ron]

well I did have a 3rd degree tear about 5 years back, not fun.  It just didn't do much of anything for a while.... nice blues and purples though....   Not as colorful as my groin tear.... but very nice.

[jim-ratliff]

.... ? Not as colorful as my groin tear.... but very nice.

I toss out a straight line for Gary.  Yeah, I have to admit your groin was pretty awesome.      Amazing that you were still able to walk and ski.

And thoroughly understandable once you finally found out what the damage was.

[Ron]

Only a good friend can say you "your groin was really awesome" , thank you my friend   

[Gary]

There are pictures of that less than sacred event...indeed recorded for posterity.

Interesting note though....has anyone else seen the ski exercises in this months Skiing Mag? 

There's much ta-do about ankles.....


G

[jbotti]

I did not see the exercises and I will look tonight when I get home, but I will tell you that I am back to doing these exercises everyday, and I can really feel the difference. Two seaons ago after I had been doing these regularly, I skied two days with Harald Harb at the very beginning of the season (actually my first two days on snow). My last 4 days on snow I was skiing with Harald also the season before. He was shocked and commented about how much better and deeper my angles were and how my turns to the left were vastly improved. Now since I hadn't skied since he saw me last, it pretty much had to be the increased mobility in my ankles.

I am a big believer in this exercise. Try it. You won't like the way it feels (especially at first because it hurts) but you will absolutely love the result!!

[Ron]

seriously, how can you ankles be more mobile if they aare locked in your boots? I can see if you had more flexiblility in hips, knees, legs or you were countering more creating more intertia but how is it possible to move your ankle more deeply? I can only move my ankles laterally maybe 2mm.

[jbotti]

It is really no different than developing muscles and the ability to move your feet within the boot. Ankle and feet flexibiluity are keys to skiing well, just ask Harald Harb . But seriously, very small movements in the feet and ankle translate to signifcant impact on the skis. Ibcreased felaxibility and mobility in the ankles also aid in balance and in weight transfer. all keys to good skiing. Lastly it really isn't ankle flexibilty that were ar increasing, it is the foots mobility in relation to the ankle, again completeky necessary when tipping the ski in either direction.

So ask yourself the question, how do you tip your ski to the little toe edge? You do this with ankle and foot flexibility, and the proper use if the muscles that produce this resullt.

Other than this, all I can say is that the result for me has been huge.

[Gary]

Hey John.....I don't think I've achieved any more mobility but I have much more strength AND "feel ability" of my feet due to the awakening of the smaller muscles that control tipping and edge migration. Even with the variations in skiers ankle mobility, having strong and "aware" ankles and feet makes a huge difference in on snow performance improving total body dynamics....right on!

I too stated I've been doing exercises for the ankles everyday this past year and the results have been just outstanding!

Now all of you out there with unaware, unwakened, delinquent and lazy ankle muscles.....get busy today with ankle workouts and watch your skiing improve from Day 1 on the snow...

you won't be disappointed....gar on-teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed! 

G

[LivingProof]

seriously, how can you ankles be more mobile if they aare locked in your boots? I can see if you had more flexiblility in hips, knees, legs or you were countering more creating more intertia but how is it possible to move your ankle more deeply? I can only move my ankles laterally maybe 2mm.

Ron, Ron, Ron

Hey, if breathing through my nose can improve my skiing, why is it illogical that training the muscles closest to the ski and snow has no value? My memory recalls you stating that you ski Big Toe Edge to Little To Edge. How do you do this without engaging your feet? Balance, both front and back, is also sensed and the feet. Maybe your next PSIA lesson will tout the value of using your feet muscles! I did take a PSIA lesson in Alta 3 years ago and one drill was to imagine your feet were a slithering snake and use that image to make turns.

In part the answer to your quest is the kinetic chain of movement, when started in the feet, drives the knees into  better tipping motions.  The devil is in the details.

[Ron]

Mike, you are over analyzing, i agree and also train muscles in my ankles and fronts of my shins, I also think its important to articulate your ankles as I have said before. I think you are looking for an arguement that isnt' there. My only point was and seems to have been resolved is that you can't move your ankles or feet inside your boot more than a couple of MM's. flexibility of the entire knetic chain is essential as is the understanding of how to articulate your feet, ankles, knees hips and all other parts. That's it. No arguement.   sorry.

[jim-ratliff]

Ron, Ron, Ron

Hey, if breathing through my nose can improve my skiing, why is it illogical that training the muscles closest to the ski and snow has no value?

LP: (speaking facetiously here).? Breathing through your nose is only introductory breathing.? According to the movie Bull Durham, it is breathing through your eyeballs that will show real results.? Wearing the garter belt is optional.

I think the point that Ron is making is that due to the limited range of motion allowed by the ski boot, foot drills that try to increase flexibility (aka Range of Motion) are misfocused.? Ankle exercises should be done with the ski boots on so that you are effectively doing resistance training of your ankles and focusing on building strength.? Or, alternately, you should do John's exercises with a little weight velcroed to the ball of your foot?? ? ? As some of you that have seen me ski are already aware, the tremendous G-forces generated by my turns require pretty strong ankles to keep the skis on edge and not going flat. 

Actually, in my only serious comment, I think Gary is on target.? Although the exercises may be focused on flexibility, the real benefit is probably the strengthening of the muscles and the "toning" of the neural pathways that support muscle activity.

[Ron]

AGAIN, THIS MAN IS PURE GENIUS!      Jim, you see and hear...... (biblial reference) 

I will be willing to try the garders if it will clear out my sinus'..... 

Ron, Ron, Ron

Hey, if breathing through my nose can improve my skiing, why is it illogical that training the muscles closest to the ski and snow has no value?

LP: (speaking facetiously here).? Breathing through your nose is only introductory breathing.? According to the movie Bull Durham, it is breathing through your eyeballs that will show real results.? Wearing the garter belt is optional.

I think the point that Ron is making is that due to the limited range of motion allowed by the ski boot, foot drills that try to increase flexibility (aka Range of Motion) are misfocused.? Ankle exercises should be done with the ski boots on so that you are effectively doing resistance training of your ankles and focusing on building strength.? Or, alternately, you should do John's exercises with a little weight velcroed to the ball of your foot?? ? ? As some of you that have seen me ski are already aware, the tremendous G-forces generated by my turns require pretty strong ankles to keep the skis on edge and not going flat.?

Actually, in my only serious comment, I think Gary is on target.? Although the exercises may be focused on flexibility, the real benefit is probably the strengthening of the muscles and the "toning" of the neural pathways that support muscle activity.

[LivingProof]

Let's keep this dialogue going for a while.

When I read jbotti's OP, a light bulb went off in my head. While the post discussed the "flexibility" aspects of the exercises, I recognized trying the exercises as an opportunity to learn, strengthen and train the small muscles in the feet. My post simply deals with training these muscles and has nothing to do with flexing the joint while in a ski boot. At Holimount last winter, Gary was showing me his foot exercises and discussing the benefits and I concur with his comments. I've performed John's drills a couple of times now and not gotten to 40 revolutions without way too much pain and cramping. It's very clear that the muscles of the feet and lower leg are being engaged. The pointing drills also stretch the Achilles tendon.

Jbotti and I are both PMTS skiers, therefore, so we try to obtain high edge angles and use more rigid boot skiers to facilitate tipping. Throughout his books and posts, Harald teaches thinking about and using the small muscles of the feet to get to higher angles. In my TV area, I keep an old pair of Solly easy entry ski boots, and, will put them on to practice tipping drills (when my wife isn't looking). I'm convinced the trying to roll the outside of my foot, while in a ski boot, into an edged position is the best way to bring knees and hips into the body positions I'm trying to create. I would argue it's almost impossible to perform slow tipping drills without actively using your feet muscles. So take the Mike challenge, put on ski boots and see what your body tells you.

So, I would concur with John's OP that his skiing was improved following these exercises. We all talk about ski specific muscles that need the actual "time on hill" hours to support better skiing, and, the muscles of my feet are often tired very early.

Do I over analyze, certainly. But it's fair to argue that in the real world many people "dumb down" complex issues, and, I think it's fair to offer a counter point.

[ToddW]

Yep, 40 reps is an eye opener.  I'm hoping to get more ankle strength out of this, especially the inverters to solidify my skiing on the LTE which is a bit shaky on my right foot.  Thanks jbotti for sharing your experience.

[Ron]

again, again, again, I was not debating or arguing that stenghtening wasn't important. go read my post. I also agreed that being aware of the mucles used to trigger or control the chain of events is critical Jeeze! Do you think that only PMTS tip thier feet? This is simply not true, every lesson I have ever taken included the necessity to tip the feet, ankles knees and so on including pulling feet back under hips and a stacked knetic chain. Especially Dan's Clinic and the clincics at beaver creek.  I must be mising something because I am in total agreement with about 99% of what was posted other than the movement of feet or ankles inside of boots and that has been clarified and resolved, what's next?  I am done. there's no "beating a dead horse" emodicon ?