The Importance of a Foot/Ankle Movement Assessment for Runners
Welcome back to All Things Running with Sonja & Jen. Today Sonja is going to take us through the importance of foot/ankle movement in runners.
The ground force reaction when walking is around 1-1.5 x one’s body weight. Running can reach up to 3 x one’s body weight .
Multiply this load times the thousands of steps taken over a day and any weakness or imbalance may lead to pain and injuries over time.
Poor movement patterns from limited range of motion, strength deficits, and even poor neuromuscular control can all have a significant impact on the body.
Performing a movement screen and assessment can help you and/or your coach better understand potential risk factors and offer suggestions on how to improve the mechanics of how you move, particularly related to your running form. This not only may help prevent injury but will likely enhance your results and overall performance as well.
One of the most common and relevant assessments for runners is the foot & ankle mobility/stability assessment.
Why is Ankle Mobility important?
Restricted ankle range will increase the likelihood of overpronation and possibly increase the risk of conditions such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis. What’s more, it could force you to lift the heel up early, causing you to lose power through the push-off phase.
Personally, I have had PF three times and strained my Achilles once in years past. Upon learning how to better care for my foot/ankle and apply the techniques described below, I have been injury free in my foot/ankle region.
To perform this simple assessment, while barefoot, simply place both your knee and your big toe against a flat wall (you will be in a moderate lunge position with your opposite leg behind you). Ideally your hands remain on your hips or at your sides and not against the wall. The knee and front of foot (both touching the wall) should be in reasonable alignment and the front foot must be completely flat on the floor.
From this position, move your foot back from the wall .5 inch to 1 inch at a time (you will need a partner here to help you measure with a measuring tape or ruler). Remember, the knee must remain against the wall WITHOUT the heel of that foot raising. Once the heel of the front leg starts to raise in order to keep the knee against the wall the test is over and you record your result (measurement) of the last successful attempt.
Compare your measurements with the scores shown here:
Distance from wall
>4.5” inches = 5 points
3.5”- 4.5” inches = 4 points
2.5”- 3.5” inches = 3 points
1.5”- 2.5” inches = 2 points
.5” – 1.5” inch = 1 point
Scored 3 or less? You potentially have a foot and ankle mobility/stability issue.
How to correct it?
Our first priority exercise for improvement is regular calf stretching - stretch with your knee both bent and straight to target the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.
Hold for 60 seconds and repeat. This should be done daily.
As soon as you’ve stretched…… go straight into a movement that puts the new range of motion into practice. For example, you could do some ‘heel-toe” walking, in which you land with the foot flexed up and then roll through to push up from the ball of the foot.
Ankle circles are also beneficial for foot/ankle mobility and will promote an increase in blood flow. Simply rotate your foot 8-10 times each to the right, then left, and then straight up and down, as if drawing a line in the air with your big toe.
Strengthening the calf, foot and ankle is also important. A very simple yet effective way to do this is to perform toe raises off of a low bench or step. Balance on the balls of your feet and let the ankles sink down as low as possible and then raise up again. Repeat for 10-15 reps and build up to 2-3 sets. Eventually you can graduate this exercise to performing it on one leg at a time.
If a couple of weeks of regular stretching and strengthening does not improve your score, it’s worth getting an experienced physiotherapist to investigate other possible causes of your limited ankle range of motion.
Heel on the ground.
Heel off the ground test is complete.
Sonja and Jennifer are sharing their personal experiences. This is being provided for informational purposes only. We are not giving medical advice and you should always consult your own doctor for advice related to your own health.