Enduring a full day of eight or more hours of physical activity including walking around the house after getting out of bed first thing in the morning, to performing a rigorous physical activity such as conducting manual labor at our jobs requires the ability to walk, step up, turn around, or kneel. These seemingly simple activities involve a vast network of neurological connections and sophisticated, coordinated movements from the spine to our hips, down to our knees, and eventually ending at our foot and ankle joints. Similar to how massive redwood trees support their trunk and branches via an elaborate root system, our feet and ankle joints are primarily responsible for keeping our bodies vertical and mobile so we can function productively in our everyday lives.
The anatomy of the foot is comprised of a series of toe bones called phalanges, metatarsals of the midfoot, and the ankle joint where the shin bone connects the leg to the foot. The unique grooves and articulations of these bones allow the foot to flex, extend, rotate side-to-side, and create circular motions. These features grant us the ability to walk, jog, or sprint forward. Stepping up onto stairs, moving laterally, or stepping down off of curbs are a few examples that require the foot to be able to sense the ground and trigger the appropriate muscles present in the ankle and foot to support and move the body throughout walking, stepping, and shifting balance. Ankle and foot flexibility, coordination, and overall strength are critically important to our ability to move with less restriction, operate with optimal balance, and proceed throughout our everyday lives in coordinated functional movements. Therefore, ensuring to input ankle and foot strengthening themes in our exercise routine shouldn’t be overlooked.
The ability of the foot to dorsiflex, plantar flex, evert, invert, and perform circumduction plays a critical role in ankle strengthening. Dorsiflexion is the ability of the shin to travel closer to the toes. The opposite direction is plantar flexion, in which the sole bends in the opposite direction toward the calves. Eversion is the outward bending of the foot in which the pinky toe side of the foot rotates toward the outside of the shin. Inward rotation of the foot when the sole rotates toward the midline of the body is inversion. Ankle circumduction is the circular movement in which the foot rotates around the ankle joint from left to right. These simple motions are responsible for a multitude of complex abilities that allow us to function efficiently as bipedal organisms. When these abilities of the ankle are restricted, our experience of interacting with our normal daily physical activities can become hindered. Fortunately, by adhering to a schedule of consistently practicing movements utilizing strength and conditioning techniques to support the ankle and foot, we can reduce the risk of injury and increase our overall quality of life.
A few simple and effective tactics that help promote ankle strength and functionality involve movements that can be done in a home setting. Below are a few exercises we perform with our personal training clients to assist in ankle and foot strengthening:
- Isometric Plantar Flexion: Better known as the calf raise, plantar flexion from a standing position involves lifting the heel off the ground. To perform, lift both heels off of the ground and maintain that position with the heels off of the ground for 10 to 30 seconds. Muscular sensation should be experienced in the calf muscle group in the posterior aspect of the shin bone. To assist in balance, position yourself in front of a wall so you can use the wall to stabilize your body if you teter forward.
- “ABC Foot Writing”: Similar to finding balance when performing the plantar flexion exercise, stand in front of a wall or supporting object, such as a counter, to stabilize yourself. Lift one foot off the ground and slightly in front of the body. Begin tracing imaginary letters of the alphabet with your toe. These twenty-six movements while tracing each letter of the alphabet move the ankle joint in various planes of motion. Muscular sensation should be experienced at the top of the foot and lateral aspect of the shin. To increase the challenge of this exercise, lift the foot out in front of the body more and higher off the ground. This puts more demand on the body’s ability to correct imbalances and puts more demand on the supporting leg and the raised leg.
Many joints in the body offer critically important features to our productivity and functionality. Let’s not forget the ankle joint offers us the privilege in our everyday lives that supersedes the importance of driving a car, which is our ability to walk without any hindrance. Taking a few moments out of our day to reinforce the integrity of our ankle joints assists us in our ability to prosper in our everyday lives with less pain and decreases limitations in our usual everyday movements.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
