Ankle mobility exercises that actually work?

13 replies

• mightygullible_11·Sep 5, 8:35 AM

  Most of them don't with because they're 1) not loaded and 2) not done with a very bent knee The best exercise is the ATG Split Squat: https://youtube.com/shorts/LHX34TpJxbQ?si=9RlbzC9mfkOCFul9 And the Tibialis Raise, the strengthen the weak muscle that actually bends the ankle: https://youtube.com/shorts/pQcvW08rnAk?si=Y0jTpnpenkGnPjhG all those crappy little banded stretches on youtube are worthless IME

• appropriate_ly_2·Sep 6, 7:40 AM

  Do you have stiff ankles because of an injury or you’ve just never had mobility and want to improve it? If it’s injury, you really should go to a physio and be consistent with the exercises they give you even if it feels stupid. I mainly do calf raises, banded crab walks, cable leg raises to the side, drawing the alphabet and weighted reverse lunges/walking lunges. And ballet and Pilates. The calf raises you need to work up to, but basically find a step or use a box. With both legs, drop your heels down then rise up. Then single legs, then weights. My PT makes me use 16kg in both hands, 20 reps in a set. You need to really push your ROM in all exercises.

• scumdog_millionaire·Sep 6, 7:54 AM

  Standing on one foot is seriously one of the best ways to rehab and strengthen the ankle joint, because it engages all of the supporting muscles under load. Take the single leg balance further with an Axis Board. As someone who has had to rehab an ankle a few times over the years, that thing seriously works. Not much weight is needed but bent knee over toes split squats are great too. Slant boards and everything in the knees over toes world works well too

• comfortable_duty71_2·Sep 6, 8:37 AM

  tbh tried like 5 different youtube routines before finding Pliab͏ility and that a͏pp actually has structured ankle mobility sessions that build on each other. finally seeing progress

• sparkle_elk·Sep 7, 4:40 PM

  Why are your ankles stiff? I feel like it's very hard to give the right answer without knowing. I have short stiff calves and my talus bone gets "locked", leaving me with a medically shortened range of motion. For me it's all calf stretches + the eccentric calf raise/lowers another poster mentioned + talus bone mobilization. When I do this daily for a long time, I get really good results and am able to get into a normal range of motion. But your ankles could be stiff for reasons that aren't mine.

• bkpenther·Sep 7, 5:05 PM

  \+1

• rockitnonstop·Sep 7, 5:08 PM

  Can confirm standing on 1 leg fantastic. Physio had me do standing on 1 leg after a broken ankle and again after a broken foot (years apart). Work up to 1 minute with your eyes open. Once you hit that, try doing it with your eyes closed. If you can get to 30s with your eyes closed, you’re doing ok.

• anoos92·Sep 7, 5:14 PM

  Try the one stretch at 2:49 https://youtu.be/pfh-4wvFIWM It helps my ankle feel better often.

• aretuzazxc·Sep 8, 12:28 PM

  would check this out thanks

• salt_ad_645_5·Sep 9, 3:38 PM

  Wait so Pliability has actual structured progressions?

• tertiares·Sep 10, 2:23 PM

  Read this on reddit: Protocol for how I fixed my ankles after 15+ years of chronic ankle sprains I hurt my ankle badly when I was in high school and it never fully healed. And once or twice a year, I would always tweak my ankle when running on an uneven surface. Something I just accepted. Tried PT but albeit I wasn't very religious about it. For context, I was a competitive amateur boxer and runner. I finally decided to get to the bottom of it this year and here's what worked for me. **My protocol** **Single-leg kinetic chain strength** The most important thing I learned is that ankles don't stabilize themselves in isolation. Your glute and knee are upstream and if they're not strong, all the work in stabilizing goes to your ankles. You need to ensure this foundation is strong. Complementing a balanced strength training routine, I found these exercises to be highly effective: 1. Single-leg RDLs (unweighted -> add weight) 2. Forward step-downs from a 6-12" box 3. Tibialis raise 4

• ydrutah_3·Sep 10, 11:34 PM

  Tbh tibialis raises are worthless, and ATG split squats are one-dimensional.

• elperroverde_94·Sep 11, 5:16 PM

  The ankles are a pair of stiff structures that are very difficult to improve because they are extremely robust. In the end, they have to handle various multiples of body weight through impacts and jumps, so they are stubborn as hell. Hence, the approach to tackle them necessarily needs to be quite intense and for a long enough period of time to trigger adaptations. However, do not forget the massive importance of learning how to express that new range of motion in movements like the squat. For ankle mobility, my favorite exercise by far, after doing many of them, is using a slanted plane with an angle slightly less than your maximum dorsiflexion. Stand on it with one foot and bend the knee slightly so you get to the maximum stretch of the joint. Then play with it as if your tibia were a joystick. This variation has the benefit of not loading the quad as aggressively as the standing version, which very quickly becomes a limitation. In terms of expressing that new dorsiflexion, I am