Last week I was with my team in a team huddle. We were discussing the common mistakes we see people make with their ankle pain…especially leading into summer and the nicer weather.
This could be useful for you, I hope you find this valuable.
At this time of year, it’s getting warmer and the evenings are staying lighter for longer. There is an increase in people starting or restarting outdoor hobbies. These may include running, hiking, even long walks with your loved ones in the evenings.
What comes with this is a possible increase in stiffness and tenderness around those lower limbs, especially the ankles!
If you don’t learn about the possible repercussions when suddenly rushing into running or strenuous exercise on your feet:
You’re left vulnerable to injury and may not have the confidence to continue running throughout the season. This could lead you to not continuing this new fun hobby or missing out on fun events over summer!
I don’t want this for you!
I want you to kick into any newfound hobby with confidence, ease and strength in your body and your ankles. Kicking your fitness goals out of the park and partaking in any events you want this summer!
Sounds pretty great right?!
So….
Here’s what I want to share with you today:
1. PREPARE YOUR WHOLE BODY
You may feel good in your ankles and lower limbs, that’s great!
What I want you to do is a full body scan, as running and similar based activities utilise the body as a whole. Can you feel any stiffness or soreness around your body? Into your knees, hips, lower back?
If you can, what does it feel like?
Have you had it before?
If you flag any areas that you feel need some work, or you notice something that doesn’t feel quite right, this is a sign. Your body is trying to talk to you, make sure to listen!
Identifying and then addressing these niggles properly will save you so much time in the long run.
2. UNDERSTAND WHERE YOUR ANKLES ARE AT
You can almost know how your ankles may react in advance.
Did you know:
Even if you’re not experiencing pain in your ankles right now there’s ways to test how stiff your ankles are!
They may be stiffer than you even realised!
You can try this test at home to test the flexibility of your ankles:
The knee to wall test:
- Using a ruler against the wall with the 0 at the wall
- Stand facing the wall
- Push your knee forward with your hips square to the wall
- If you’re able to reach easily, move your foot 1-2 cm’s away from the wall each time. Repeat until you can no longer touch your knee to the wall without lifting your heel.
- record the maximum distance you’ve achieved. Repeat on other side and compare.
3. TAKE IT SLOW
Build yourself up, don’t jump in to fast, you’re more likely to cause injury when you go from 0 to 100 in a flash..
Make sure to have a sustainable goal:
If you’re starting out again make sure to build time on your feet. You can build stamina over a longer distance if you don’t push too hard at the beginning but ease into it.
Make sure to plan rest days and incorporate equal amounts of stretch and strength work into your running routine. Every aspect is important. Not just the physical movement of running, everything is a balance.
If you have any questions on the content i’ve shared, or are looking for specific advice on getting back into fitness over summer, get in touch today!
-Ross Kinsella
P.S: Want to learn more about how we can help you to address your ankle pain or want guidance on next steps?
