A physical therapist says that poor ankle mobility is a primary driver of falls and balance issues later in life—here’s how to improve it

Ankle mobility might feel like a small thing to worry about, but it can make a significant difference to your life.

“Poor ankle mobility is a primary driver of falls and balance issues later in life,” says Dr Jamie Bovay, founder of and lead physical therapist at KinetikChain Denver.

I asked him why ankles are a weak point for so many people.

“Ankles usually become immobile due to a combination of position and a lack of use throughout the full range of motion,” he says.

“Most of us spend our lives in shoes with slightly elevated heels, which keep the Achilles and calf muscles in a shortened state.”

Over time, this shortened state leads to a limited range of motion in the ankle joint, causing it to stiffen and restrict movement even further.

“Once it is stiff, not only can we not use our previous range of motion but the nervous system also ‘forgets’ how to access control of deep dorsiflexion (ankle bending),” he says.

“This makes it harder to get into deep bending motions and control that motion. We often attribute this to old age when it is actually a lack of use.”

“If you want to stay active late into life, you need ankle mobility to navigate uneven terrain, maintain a deep squat and even get up from the floor,” he says.

To help solve this problem, Bovay has an exercise or three to share.

He explains that by restoring your ankle’s range of motion and training within that new range, your joints can move more freely and absorb force optimally, rather than passing that stress up your body, which may cause more discomfort or injuries.

Try the following three exercises to improve your ankle mobility and let me know how you get on in the comments.

1. Knee-to-wall mobilization

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-15 each side Rest: 30sec

“This is a closed-chain functional movement that forces the talus bone [connecting your foot to your leg] to glide backward, clearing the pinch often felt at the front of the ankle,” says Bovay.

• Stand facing a wall in a staggered stance, with your target foot forward and your toes two to three inches from the wall.
• Keep your heel pressed firmly into the floor throughout.
• Slowly and with control, move your front knee forward until it touches the wall.
• Release the position and repeat, slightly increasing the distance from the wall as your ankle joint loosens.

Target muscles: soleus , joint capsule and Achilles tendon.

2. Eccentric calf drop

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 60sec

“We aren’t just stretching, we are remodeling the tissue,” says Bovay.

“Eccentric loading is the gold standard for lengthening the muscle-tendon unit and building structural armor in the Achilles.”

How to do it:

• Stand with the balls of your feet on a step or weight plate with your heels hanging off the edge.
• Lift your heels, coming up onto tiptoes.
• Lower your heels slowly and with control, below the level of the step.

Targets: gastrocnemius, soleus and the Achilles tendon.

Make it harder: To progress this movement, lift one foot before the eccentric, lowering part of the movement. Use both feet to return to the top of the movement and repeat all reps on one side before swapping legs.

3. Tibialis anterior raise

Sets: 2 Reps: 20 Rest: 45sec

“Mobility is useless without the strength to pull yourself into that new range,” says Bovay. “Strengthening the front of your shin provides the active tension needed to clear the ankle joint and prevent toe-catching while walking.”

How to do it:

• Stand with your back and hips against a wall.
• Place your feet about a foot away from the base of the wall.
• Keeping your knees straight, raise your toes and the balls of your feet toward your shins as high as possible.
• Hold at the top, then slowly lower back down.

Targets: tibialis anterior.