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5 Best Ankle Mobility Exercises
Improve ankle mobility with this guided routine – the best ankle mobility exercises for strong and healthy ankles. Increase range of motion, and reduce stiffness with this daily mobility routine. These exercises can improve flexibility in the ankles which will lead to better squat form and more effective leg workouts.
Weak, stiff ankles are common – especially for runners or those who participate in high-impact sports and activities.
Overuse or repeated stress on the ankles can weaken them over time. Ankle mobility and ankle strengthening exercises are important in preventing injury and improving your performance in strength training and HIIT workouts.
For example, proper ankle flexion is need to achieve deep squats with good form. Ankle mobility allows the knee to track over the toe through dorsiflexion. If the knee tracks over the toe correctly, you’ll be able to squat deeper, remain more upright, and increase the load you’re lifting.
Strong, flexible ankles also support healthy knees.
Add these ankle mobility exercises to your weekly routine to increase range of motion and boost athletic performance.
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Ankle Mobility Exercises FAQs
What Causes Lack Of Ankle Mobility?
Muscle imbalances, less flexibility in the calf muscles, ankle joint issues from a previous injury, or frequently wearing high heels are some of the most common causes of poor ankle mobility. When the ankle is overused or repeatedly subjected to stress from activities like running or high-impact sports, it can also become stiff or tight.
How Do You Improve Ankle Mobility?
Ankle flexion exercises, like heel lifts, heel drops and squats are an effective way to strengthen the ankles and improve mobility. Most people benefit from adding mobility routines to their workout schedules between two and three times a week. If ankle mobility is a specific goal for you, add ankle mobility exercises to your daily routine. I also suggest working on squats 1-2 times a week.
Why Should You Improve Ankle Mobility?
Having greater ankle mobility means that the ankle joint and its surrounding muscles and tendons are flexible. When your ankle joint is flexible, you’ll have a greater range of motion during your exercises – particularly squats. Better ankle mobility can ultimately improve your leg workouts.
5 Best Ankle Mobility Exercises
Improve mobility, reduce risk of injury, and get better range of motion during workouts with these daily ankle mobility exercises.
I suggest incorporating mobility workouts like this one to your home workout plan 1-2 times per week to protect and maintain healthy joints and muscles.
Workout Equipment:
Bench or staircase.
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Workout Instructions:
Follow along with these guided Ankle Mobility Exercises on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- 5 Exercises for Ankle Mobility
- Timed Intervals (perform/hold each exercise for around 30-60 seconds)
Note: I’ll cue this in the video, but it’s important to actively keep your body from tensing up as you hold each pose. Focus on breathing into each mobility exercise, and think about “releasing” the tension in each muscle group to avoid clenching up.
Workout Outline
- Knees Over Toes
- Elevated Knees Over Toes and Heel Lower
- Incline Calf Raises
- Tibialis Raises
- Deep Squat Hold and Pry
Prefer to Watch On YouTube?
Ankle Mobility
5 Ankle Mobility Exercises
Knees Over Toes
Purpose: Placing the foot this distance from a wall or bench is a great way to test current ankle mobility. Increasing the ankle dorsiflexion (pushing knees over toes) is a functional training movement. This exercise improves ankle mobility and is a great way to measure progress over time.
How To Do Knees Over Toes
- Test your overall ankle mobility by kneeling on the ground in front of a chair, bench or wall. Shift your weight into your left knee, placing the right foot flat on the floor. Make a fist with your thumb pointing straight out. Place your fist on the ground, thumb touching the wall and right toes behind the fist (this marks how far your toes should be from the wall or bench).
- Drive the right heel into the ground, keeping it connected to the mat as you drive the right knee over your second and third toes. Avoid collapsing the knee in.
- Continue to drive the right knee over the toes, aiming to touch the wall or bench with your right knee.
- Slowly pull the knee back a bit, then drive the knee over the toes again, slowly working to get the knee closer to the wall throughout the timed interval.
Elevated Knees Over Toes And Heel Lower
Purpose: If you have less range of motion in your ankles, adding an elevation to knees over toes is a great way to progress and measure mobility. Again, increasing the ankle dorsiflexion (pushing knees over toes) is a functional training movement. The heel lower offers a way to modify knees over toes as you gain mobility.
How To Do Elevated Knees Over Toes And Heel Lower
- Place your left foot flat on an elevated surface (step, chair or bench). Send the right leg long behind you for stability, slight bend in the back right leg. Place your hands on either side of your left foot for balance and support.
- Drive the left knee over the second and third toes on the left foot. Lift the left heel as you drive the left knee over the toes.
- With control, slowly lower the left heel towards the ground as you keep the left knee over the toes.
- Hold this position, slowly raising the left heel and then lowering it back down with control.
Incline Calf Raises
Purpose: Strengthens the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) and achilles tendon, improves ankle mobility, and increases balance and stability. Adding an incline allows for greater range of motion (as opposed to performing calf raises from the ground).
How To Do Incline Calf Raises
- Start standing on an elevated flat surface (stable box, chair or stair), feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight and core engaged to stand tall. Shift back so your heels hang off the back of the surface.
- Slowly and with control, lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet, heels rising above the platform.
- Lift your heels until you feel a stretch along the back of your legs, balancing on your toes.
- Then, slowly lower your heels back to the platform, returning to starting position. If your mobility allows, dip your heels below the level of the platform.
Tibialis Raises
Purpose: Tib raises strengthen the tibialis anterior muscle, or muscle along the front of the shin (lower leg). This is the primary shock absorber of the knee, and strengthening this muscle can help protect both the knees and ankles. This exercise also increases the ankle dorsiflexion.
How To Do Tibialis Raises
- Start standing on a flat surface, feet shoulder-width apart, leaning against a wall. Step your feet out 3-4 inches away from the wall, keeping your back pressed against the wall.
- Slowly lift your toes towards your shins while keeping your heels on the ground.
- Hold for a second, before slowly lowering your toes to tap the ground, returning to starting position.
Deep Squat Hold And Pry
Purpose: Ankle mobility improves squat form, so holding the movement we want to improve is beneficial. Deep squats challenge the mobility in your hips, knees, ankles and lumbar spine. Holding a deep squat and side-to-side pry also challenges balance and stability.
How To Do A Deep Squat Hold And Pry
- Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged.
- Lower down into a deep squat position, lowering your hips past being parallel with your knees. Spine remains straight.
- As you lower, your knees will drive over your outer three toes. Lower only as far as you can while keeping the heels grounded into the mat. Pelvis remains in a neutral position.
- Hold this deep squat. Option to perform a squat pry by shifting your weight side to side, to the knife edge of each foot and back to center.
Modification: Only lower as far down as possible without the heels lifting off the ground. Your squat hold may not be as deep at the beginning but will improve as your ankle mobility improves.
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