Improve Ankle Flexibility: Great Exercise

[jbotti]

When I was having some back issue 2 seasons ago I went to see someone who worked for a place called Egoscue. Pete Egsoscue started developing exercises that help the body re-position its alignment. He started working with back patients who had gone through one or several surgeries and were still in back pain. Pete and his team have had great success working wth thousands of people over the years.

Enough with the commercial for Egoscue.com. Here's where it relates to skiing. One of the things they wanted to do with me was to increase my ankle felxibility to allow better weight transfer on each step (I didn't not always completely transfer weight to my right side, which is the ankle I broke twice). I did this particular drill every day for several months. It helped a lot, but when ski season started, I noticed a huge difference, and I was immediately able to get much large edge angles from doing this drill. I now do this 4-6 times per week leading up to sik season and 3-5 times per week during it. IMO, this will immediately benefit everyone's skiing. So here it is:

They are called Supine Foot Circles & Point/Flexes

To get a solid result you need to do 40 reps in each direction of the foot circles and 40 reps of the point/flexes (3 sets of 40 on each side). Past about 25 reps it will start to hurt and you will notice how tight and immobile your ankles are (or at least mine were). It does get easier after about 4-6 days.

Lie on your back with one leg extended and the other leg bent and pulled up toward your chest
Clasp your hands behind the bent knee
Keep the foot on the floor pointed straight up toward the ceiling and your thigh muscles tight
Circle the lifted foot one way for the indicated number or repetitions, then reverse direction for the same number of reps
Make sure the knee stays absolutely still with movement coming from the ankle and not the knee
For the point/flexes, bring the toes back toward the shin to flex, then reverse the direction to point the foot forward for the indicated number of reps
Switch legs and repeat


This exercise promotes proper function of the lower leg muscles and encourages stabilization of the hip joint on the same leg. As I said before it immediately helps with everyone's skiing even though that is not what it was designed for.

I feel confident that anyone who does these will get a similar resullt iin their skiing. Enjoy!!

[Ron]

so given that your boots restrict the lateral movement of your ankles to no more than about 2mm, why do I want them to have more flexibility? Forward flex is very important for sure, but softening the boot will accomplish that.

[jbotti]

The ability to tip the ski laterally requires two things, development of the proper muscles and lateral fexibility in the ankles. I find that the ability to use one's feet and ankles is the key to skiing well.

I put it up because it helped me immensely. That doesn't mean anyone else has to try it.

[Ron]

I agree and also articulate my ankles bu I can't bend or move them laterally more than a couple of mm's.  I would be in big trouble if I had to, since my left ankle really has no ligments intact

[Ron]

is this something that will help strenghten them? that would be beneficial for sure

[Gary]

Hey J....I've been doing ankle rotations laying flat and ankle "edge to edge" drills sitting on the edge of the bed before I get up all this year. I found it not only helped strengthen the ankles, but also create more awareness of the small twitch muscles in the ankle and forefoot that need to fire with subtle weight migration edge to edge.

Another one I like and recommend is make sure we stretch the Achilles tendon....especiall y as we all age....you want this to be flexible for any hard compressing landing that drives your knees forward in the boot. Snapping that bad boy is a season ending injury.

Love the ankle stuff though.....I've seen positive results for skiing and golf.

G

[Ron]

Bad news flks, I went home from work today and did my ankle rolls, unfortunately, afterwards, when walking across the room, I thought I was in ski-boots, bent my ankles and broke both of them......

[jbotti]

Good call Gary on the achilles stretching. As well when you stretch them you are stretching your calves as well and increasing dorsiflexion. Many of us have modest dosiflexion. I know that mine increases by several degrees when I stretch my calves/achilles regularly.

Ron can try it next season when his ankles heal.

[Ron]

yes, for now I must settle for yoga stretching and regular workouts including calf presses and other excercises that strenghten front/back and side calf mucles including balance work... I will say this, being aware of the how to engage the muscles is very important for sure and I will work on this.  OK, I said it,, yuck.......  Thanks guys!

[Gary]

Thanks J....yup.....dorsif lexion is something I have limited motion in...so we train, we stretch and we await board/snow contact...sweet.

OK Ron.....since you're all gimped up can I borrow your new Pilgrims for a quick visit to the woods...huh...can I ....huh?


Phil...loved the Rumble run with John...great video...seems like a very down to earth guy.....was watching how much of the skis were working the trail....all of the ski, tip to tail...nice! Was that you in the grey jacket?

G

[Ron]

no, they are too long for you 

[Gary]

 

Maybe that xtra length for 3 ft days! 

g

[Ron]

thats a hellbent day!

[Ron]

Ok, I went back to my excercises again, now my feet are so loose that when I walk, they just flop around, anyone esle have this problem?

[jim-ratliff]

Ok, I went back to my excercises again, now my feet are so loose that when I walk, they just flop around, anyone esle have this problem?

  Had that problem with my right ankle once.? Herniated disk pressing against the nerve was cutting off the flow of neural impulses to the muscles.? Micro-diskectomy.? Glad you were not serious.? ?