"A fitness professional suggests performing this ankle flexibility exercise for those experiencing squat challenges"
In a bid to enhance the effectiveness and safety of squats, Peloton trainer Hannah Frankson has shared her top strategies for improving ankle mobility.
Frankson, who admits to having tight ankles despite her full-time job in exercising and her love for strength training, recommends a specific ankle mobility exercise for long-term improvement. This exercise, which she performs at the beginning of every workout, claims to make squatting easier.
To perform the exercise, secure one end of a long resistance band to a fixed surface, loop the other end around the lower part of your ankle, place the foot with the resistance band on an elevated surface (about 4 inches high), position yourself far enough from the anchor point to create tension in the band, bend your knee, lean forwards so that your knee travels forward over your foot, and hold the stretch for one to two minutes before switching to the other ankle.
Frankson also suggests a few other strategies to improve ankle mobility for better squatting form:
- Ankle Mobilization Exercises: Regularly perform ankle dorsiflexion stretches such as wall ankle mobilizations—standing facing a wall, placing your foot a few inches away, and bending your knee forward over your toes without your heel lifting. This helps increase the range of motion in the ankle.
- Calf Stretching: Tight calves restrict ankle movement, so stretching the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (calf muscles) can improve flexibility. For example, perform standing calf stretches with the leg straight and bent behind you.
- Foam Rolling and Soft Tissue Work: Using a foam roller or massage ball on the calves and Achilles tendon can help release tension and improve mobility.
- Strengthening the Supporting Muscles: Strengthen the muscles around the ankle, including the tibialis anterior, through exercises like toe raises or resisted ankle dorsiflexion, which can support better control and mobility.
- Consistent Practice and Progressive Loading: Incorporate these mobility drills regularly and gradually work on deeper squatting positions as mobility improves.
Frankson also suggests a quick fix for tight ankles—elevating the heels while squatting. This can provide support and help maintain balance, reducing the risk of injury.
It's worth noting that lack of ankle mobility can cause a person to lean far forward when squatting, reducing the effectiveness of the movement and increasing the risk of injury. Ankle mobility is often overlooked but plays a vital role in exercises where we bend at the knees, such as squats.
If the squat form is still not perfect after performing the exercise, a guide on how to do a squat properly can be found. Frankson practices elevating her heels with little weights while squatting to support her body.
Hannah Frankson, a trainer at Peloton, encourages everyone to prioritise ankle mobility for a better squatting posture and a reduced risk of injury.
- To complement the ankle mobility exercise for better squatting form, Hannah Frankson suggests incorporating calf stretching routines that target the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, such as standing calf stretches with both legs, offering improved flexibility.
- In addition to specific ankle exercises, science-backed strategies for enhancing ankle mobility also include foam rolling and soft tissue work to release tension in the calves and Achilles tendon, thus promoting mobility.
- In her pursuit to enhance the effectiveness and safety of strength training workouts like squats, Hannah Frankson advises incorporating strategies like ankle mobilization exercises, calf stretching, foam rolling, and progressive loading (in terms of both practice and loading) into a comprehensive health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise regime.
