Prehab for the ankle joint is often overlooked or undervalued, however it can be crucial for injury prevention and performance. Beyond the movement provided by the joints in our feet our ankles are highly important for providing stability and mobility in both sporting tasks and everyday life tasks. Prehab routines should look to address two main functions around the ankle.
Mobility
Having poor range at the ankle joint can not only cause pain and injury around the foot and ankle but can also translate problems higher up the kinetic chain. For example, in a squat when there is limited range around the ankle, the knee compensates by shifting further forward. This places greater stress on the knee and can lead to injury in the future. Having a great range of movement around the ankle will help to take the stress off of other joints and allow us to move better. Previous injuries or medical conditions such as arthritis can effect mobility around the joint and need to
Stability
In contrast to mobility, the ankle is also required to be stable in many task. Whether we are performing a lift in the gym such as a squat or running or dynamic sport, we rely on our lower body joints in collaboration with our muscles to absorb and translate forces. If we do not have enough stability when dealing with these forces we risk losing balance or worse, injuries.
Here are a few examples of exercises that can be used for ankle prehab to create mobility and work on stability.
Mobility
Knee to wall stretch
Eccentric calf lowers
Stability
Single leg lands
Clock touches
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