For those of you who were waiting anxiously for parts 2 and 3 of my Foot and Ankle series I apologize for never getting those written. Note to self, write ALL THREE parts of a three part series before posting the first one. I will. I think my problem was that in the process I'd OVERCOME my ankle issues finally and had moved on in my mind. I have so much going on in my brain that it's hard to write about something other than what I'm thinking in the moment! No excuses tho.
However, I'm writing this because lucky for me, and you, I just came across an awesome article by Carson Boddicker, a performance specialist and educator on topics pertaining to optimal running performance, who also has ties to Athletes' Performance.
In the article he discusses ankle anatomy and mechanics and gives great options for corrective exercises. The one I feel helps me keep my ankles in check is what he calls the 'heel drop.' Its a staple in my workouts all year long. There is a great video and explanation of it in the article along with a few other exercises that are right on.
A few exerpts...It begins:
"The ankle is the most frequently injured joint in sport, accounting for one-third of all injuries. As the Western approach to medicine is highly reactionary in nature, we typically follow ankle injuries up with rest and taping to assist the body in stabilizing motion." [NOTE: WE'VE GOTTA CHANGE THIS.]
He continues, "Unfortunately, in many cases, this isn’t enough to restore proper function at the ankle and leads to a loss of ankle dorsiflexion and an increased likelihood of repeated ankle injury in the future."
"Like most things, to get an understanding of how to fix an issue, you must first understand the proper mechanism." [EXACTLY! Right on Carson.]
"As the issues can be both joint mobility restrictions and muscular tightness, achieving proper dorsiflexion should be addressed with a multifaceted approach including altering tissue lengths, joint mobility, and other modifiable lifestyle factors"
There are many videos presented in the article. The exercises are right on the mark. Here is one of the examples he gives of heel drops:
Thank you Carson. Keep up the great writing!!
Move well all.
