It’s leg day and you can’t wait to hit squats. But when you get up to the barbell and begin your warm-up set, you can’t squat down very far. Your ankles feel stiff, preventing you from going down all the way and hitting your normal full range of motion. (Oof.) It may be time to introduce some ankle mobility exercises into your routine.
“Ankle mobility is the ability to move your joints properly, not stiffly, and to have full range of motion,” says certified personal trainer Ari Cobb, CPT. This means you’re able to rotate your ankles in a circular motion, and flex and extend them fully, adds Ashley Nicole, CPT, a certified personal trainer.
Meet the experts: Ari Cobb, CPT, is a trainer and MMA athlete based in Houston, Texas. Ashley Nicole, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and the founder and coach behind RA Warrior Fitness.
Having mobile ankles is important because you use your ankles for nearly every type of movement, from running, to walking, to lifting. So, being immobile in the ankles “can limit you from getting the most out of your exercise,” Cobb notes. For instance, if you can’t squat down all the way because of your ankles, your quad muscles won’t work as hard as they could be. Ankle immobility can also interfere with your ability to do daily functional movements, like balancing on your tip-toes to grab a book off of the top of your bookshelf.
So, motivated to get your ankles in tip-top shape? Ahead, read up on the importance of ankle mobility exercises and the best ones to add into your routine.
12 Best Ankle Mobility Exercises
Time: 10-17 minutes | Equipment: resistance band
Instructions: Before and after workouts, do ankle mobility exercises between three to five times per week. During your warm-up, do two to three dynamic (moving) exercises (like the Elevated Dorsiflexion Stretch, Banded Ankle Dorsiflexion, and Toe Walks) to improve your range of motion, and during the cool-down, do one to two static (still) mobility or soft tissue drills (like Foam Rolling Calves and Seated Ankle Stretch).
If you’ve previously had ankle injuries like sprains or fractures, or your muscles are weak or underactive, Cobb recommends dedicating 10-15 minutes of ankle mobility work into your routine three to five times a week.
1. Banded Ankle Dorsiflexion
How to:
- Attach a resistance band around a sturdy object, like a pole.
- Loop the other end of the band around your ankle and step back to create tension.
- While standing, flex the ankle forward, then return to start. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete 3 sets of 12 reps per ankle.
2. Toe Walks
How to:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and rise up on the balls of the feet.
- Take a step forward.
- Complete 2 sets of 20 steps in each direction.
3. Heel Walks
How to:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and put your weight into your heels.
- Take one step forward.
- Complete 2 sets of 20 steps in each direction.
4. Ankle Circles
How to:
- Sit with back straight and one foot lifted off the floor.
- Rotate ankle in a circular motion. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete 3 sets of 10 reps per foot, then reverse the direction and perform another 3 sets of 10 reps per foot.
5. Standing Dynamic Calf Stretch
How to:
- Stand facing a wall with hands against the wall.
- Place one foot back into a lunge position, keeping the back heel down.
- Gently bend the knee to stretch the calf and ankle. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete 3 sets of 10 reps per leg.
6. Elevated Dorsiflexion Stretch (Step Rockers)
How to:
- Place toes on an elevated surface, like a weight plate, with leg straight.
- Rock front knee forward while keeping heel down to stretch the calf. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete 3 sets of 10 reps per side.
7. Seated Ankle Stretch
How to:
- Sit on the edge of a chair with one leg bent so the top of the ankle is touching the ground and the toes are pointing back.
- Gently press ankles down to stretch the front of the ankle for 30 to 60 seconds per foot.
- Complete 2-3 sets per side.
8. Foam Rolling Calves And Achilles
How to:
- Sit on the floor with a foam roller under calf.
- Roll up and down the calf for 30 to 60 seconds until you reach achilles, pausing on tight spots.
- Complete 2 sets per side.
9. Tibialis Raises
How to:
- Stand with back against a wall, feet about a foot from the wall.
- Lift your toes up toward shins, keeping heels on the floor. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete 3 sets of 15 reps.
10. Resisted Ankle Plantar Flexion
How to:
- Sit with legs extended and wrap a resistance band around one foot.
- Point toes forward against the resistance, then return to start. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete 3 sets of 12 reps per foot.
11. Standing Soleus Stretch
How to:
- Do a standing lunge, bending the back knee, keeping the heel down.
- Hold the calf stretch for 30-45 seconds.
- Complete 2-3 sets on each side.
12. Single-Leg Balance with Ankle Control
How to:
- Stand on one leg.
- Shift weight slightly forward and back to engage the ankle stabilizers for 20 seconds.
- Complete 3 sets on each side.
Why You Should Add Ankle Mobility Exercises To Your Routine
Help You Stay Stronger For Longer
Later in life, “we start losing muscle mass and tendons can start to become inflamed” due to aging, says Cobb. Plus, women reach peak bone mass around age 30, and are prone to developing osteoporosis as they age. Ankle mobility exercises can help you hit your full range of motion while working out—and stay pain-free while doing so. This ability will help you gain (and keep) more muscle mass and strengthen and preserve your bones throughout your life, which is key for moving well and staying healthy for as long as possible throughout your 40s, 50s, 60s, and so on.
Prevent Injuries
Mini anatomy lesson: The kinetic chain is “your body from the ground up,” specifically the group of the feet, knees, hips, shoulders, and head, says Cobb. All of these body parts are connected and move together. So, if you have an ankle injury, it can start affecting your hips and shoulders because “your body will start to overcompensate to try and fix those imbalances,” she says. Ankle mobility exercises can help you form a good, strong foundation, which will protect your whole body.
Make Daily Functional Movements Easier
You don’t just use your ankles for running and weight lifting—you use them every time you take a step forward, squat down to play with your child, and bend over to pick something up off the ground, Cobb says. “Incorporating more ankle mobility exercises is certainly helpful because if you don’t use it, you lose it,” Nicole says, meaning that without practice, you’ll lose the mobility in your ankles. These moves are helpful to also “have a good quality of life” and be able to move well for a long time, she adds.
Improve Workouts
Aside from strength workouts, ankle mobility exercises can also assist with plyometric workouts (box jumps, jumping rope, etc.) and running because these motions require your ankles to strike and push off of the ground in flexion and extension positions as you move.
As you run, “you’re hitting triple extension, meaning you’re extended at your hips, shoulders, and knee,” Cobb says. “So if one of those things is even slightly off, you’re not going to run as fast and you’re not going to move as well.” Going back to the kinetic chain: Your ankles and knees have to be aligned properly for the rest of your body to move better and easier. Plus, “if you have poorly mobile ankles, you’re not going to run fast,” she adds.
Addison Aloian is the associate health & fitness editor at Women’s Health, where she writes and edits across the health, weight loss, and fitness verticals. She’s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). In her free time, you can find her lifting weights at the gym, running on the West Side Highway in New York City—she recently completed her first half-marathon—and watching (and critiquing!) the latest movies that have garnered Oscars buzz. In addition to Women’s Health, her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, and more.
