06/03/2026
In our last post, we discussed the "Ankle ABCs," an ankle exercise that is great for increasing strength and mobility. In this post, we're taking the next step and listing some reasons why ankle strength and mobility matter, particularly to athletes.
To begin, having proper ankle mobility and range of motion allows for better force distribution during day-to-day tasks or in athletic scenarios. When our ankles are inflexible, the rest of our body will compensate, leading to increased wear and tear in areas like our knees and hips.
Flexibility in the ankles also allows us to make movements from more positions, important for athletes like basketball and football players, who often find themselves needing to move quickly from unstable positions.
Stronger, more stable ankles are excellent for better athletic performance, especially with fundamentals like quickly changing direction and jumping. Both of those movements require our ankles to generate large amounts of force, which, in turn, requires the tendons and muscles in and around our ankles to be strong.
Our ankles have more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments, which means that a strong ankle requires attention to all of these areas. That is why the "Ankle ABCs" is an effective routine, as it puts your ankle through movements in all directions.
Ultimately, it is in everyone's best interest to make sure that their ankles are both strong and flexible. Your chances of injury will go down, and your physical ability will go up! Even if you don't consider yourself a serious athlete, setting aside some time to take care of your ankles can make a big difference in daily activities!
