A professional trainer suggests performing this ankle flexibility exercise if squats prove challenging for you.
Ankle mobility is often overlooked, yet it plays a crucial role in exercises like squats. To help improve ankle mobility for better squatting form, Hannah Frankson, a trainer at Peloton, recommends specific exercises that focus on increasing dorsiflexion, the ability to bring the top of the foot towards the shin.
The Wall Ankle Mobilization Exercise
This ankle mobility exercise, inspired by Hannah Frankson's guidance, requires a wall and (optionally) a small weight or kettlebell. Here's how to perform it:
- Position yourself: Stand facing a wall with your toes about 2-3 inches away. Your feet should be hip-width apart.
- Foot placement: Keep one foot flat on the ground, toes pointed straight ahead. The other foot will be the working ankle.
- Movement: Slowly bend the knee of your working leg forward, trying to touch it to the wall without your heel lifting off the ground.
- Range of motion: If your knee touches the wall easily, move your foot slightly farther away and repeat.
- Depth: Keep your heel grounded throughout to effectively stretch and mobilize the ankle joint.
- Optional resistance: Hold a light weight or kettlebell in front of you to help engage your core and maintain balance during the movement.
- Repetitions: Perform 10-15 slow and controlled reps on each ankle, 2-3 times per session. Increase intensity gradually as mobility improves.
Additional Tips from Hannah Frankson
- Warm up your ankles prior to squatting with dynamic stretches like ankle circles or calf raises.
- Consistency is key—regularly practicing ankle mobility drills helps prevent compensations in squat form, such as heels lifting or knees caving inward.
- Combining ankle mobility work with hip and thoracic spine mobility exercises creates better overall squat mechanics.
Improving ankle dorsiflexion through these exercises often results in a more upright torso, deeper squats, and reduced knee or back discomfort. Additionally, it can help prevent excessive leaning forward during squats, which reduces the movement's effectiveness and increases the risk of injury.
While the Wall Ankle Mobilization exercise can provide a long-term solution for improving squatting form, it's important to note that it's not a quick fix. To see real improvements, perform this exercise at the beginning of every workout. After doing the exercise on one ankle, switch to the other.
Hannah Frankson often encounters tight ankles as a common issue with squatting. To help alleviate this, she recommends using weights under her heels to support her body while squatting, or elevating the heels as a quick fix for ankle mobility issues. This exercise requires a long resistance band, a sturdy elevated surface, and a fixed anchor point.
Regularly practicing ankle mobility exercises, like the Wall Ankle Mobilization, can help make squatting easier and more effective, reducing the risk of injury and improving overall squat mechanics.
- To enhance the effectiveness of strength training exercises like squats, Hannah Frankson suggests incorporating the Wall Ankle Mobilization exercise, which can increase dorsiflexion and improve ankle mobility.
- The science of health-and-wellness indicates that better ankle flexibility not only leads to a more upright torso and deeper squats but also reduces the risk of knee or back discomfort during fitness-and-exercise activities.
- For those experiencing tight ankles while squatting, Hannah Frankson recommends using weights under the heels or elevating the heels to alleviate this issue, in addition to practicing regular ankle mobility workouts.
