Bullet Train: The Ankles

Want faster changes? Add in drills throughout your day or change your environment.

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Need Faster Changes?

Our mobility problems didn't happen overnight. Sometimes it takes a little longer and a little more effort to create a change. Put in some extra work and changes will happen more quickly and last longer.

Methods
TV Dinners (drills that can be done while watching TV).
Environment Change (change something about your lifestyle).

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Bullet Train: The Ankle Video

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TV Dinners

Let's be honest. Most of us waste time in front of our TV. Why not use some of that time to work on our limitations?

1) Ankle Flow: 1-6  Minutes a Day
Extra mobility work that addresses the toes, feet, and ankles.

Toe tucks -> Toe points -> Kneeling Ankle

Start with your toes tucked and sit back on your heels. As soon as this becomes uncomfortable transition into the next posture. Point your toes and sit back onto your heels. Again, once this becomes uncomfortable, transition into the next posture. Kneel and drive your knee over the toes as far as you can without lifting the heel, or collapsing at the arch and knee. Switch legs and repeat until it's no longer comfortable or for a maximum of 6 minutes.

2) Ankle Circles: x10 reps each way, daily
Extra movement to explore and control end ranges of motion.

Lie on your back and pull your leg up into a hamstring stretch. Holding the leg here, slowly draw the biggest circle you can with your foot and ankle. You're trying to push into, and control, your end ranges.

3) Stick Mobility Ankle Circles: x10 reps each way daily
Extra strength work for the foot and ankle.

Stand up and support yourself with a couple of Stick Mobility sticks, dowels, brooms, etc. You can also hold onto a wall, couch, chair, or countertop. Rise up as high as you can onto your toes, draw a circle by slowly rocking to the outside of one foot and the inside of the other and trace the outline of your foot onto the floor. Move slowly and with control.

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Environment Change

The environment we've been living in is what got us here in the first place. Let's create a change to our environment that will create a change in our mobility.

Stimulate your feet!

A big reason why we've lost mobility is the fact that we wear shoes and we no longer expose ourselves to different surfaces and textures. Below are examples of how we can start to change that.

1) Shoes Off: Daily
Gradually introduce more and more time outside of your shoes and socks.

2) Rock Mat: 1-30 minutes a day
Buy or make a rock mat and place it somewhere you spend a lot of time. Examples; shower, kitchen, office. Or just roll it out and walk across it for a minute or more several times a day.

3) Get outside: Daily
Explore and walk on uneven surfaces, put your feet in the soil. Bonus benefit of stress relief.

4) Textured Insoles: Occasionally
Textured insoles can be an easy way to stimulate your feet throughout the day or while exercising. Rotate between your regular insoles and textured insoles. The best ones I have found are by Naboso. Some studies are also showing performance benefits for rowers. More on that later...

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