Tips to Improve Ankle Mobility with Brad Bromlow

Tips to Improve Ankle Mobility with Brad Bromlow

 

In this week's blog, we delve into ankle mobility and how deficiencies in it can increase risk of injury.

Here's a post by Brad Bromlow in which he gives us some tips on how to improve our ankle mobility. He starts with forward lunges and presses, side to side squats, and finishes off with some calf stretches. 

Preventing Injuries

Our ankles are a major load-bearing joint in our body that plays an essential role in all aspects of performance. Athletes who play sports that require intense ankle movement and stress risk getting sprains and fractures that can take a while to heal.

Although ankles may be able to withstand an incredible amount of weight, they are also very fragile and easy to damage.

Taking precautionary measures to strengthen and stabilize them is key to avoiding injury. Sprained ankles are the most common form of injury seen by primary care doctors.

A rolled or twisted ankle can occur when the foot is planted awkwardly, the ground may be uneven, or when an unusual amount of force is applied to the joint. They can frequently happen in sports but also in everyday life or activities.

Understanding Ankle Mobility

Poor ankle mobility can be caused by many issues elsewhere in the body, such as general lack of flexibility in the calf muscles, back of the lower leg, or if you've had previous joint issues in that area.

Serious ankle injuries can lead to tissue damage and inflammation. Blood vessels become loose and allow fluid to ooze into the soft tissue that surrounds the joint.

How to tell if you have poor ankle mobility

When your knee is straight try to bend to 100 degrees (without bending your knee). If you are unable to do so then you have tight upper calf muscles. If you cannot reach 100 degrees even when your knee is bent then you likely have tight lower calf muscles.

Consistency is key

Mobility, like most things, just takes constant attention and it can seem slow and tedious. Essentially, just like getting better at a split, it is just stretching and pushing yourself further and keeping that mobility. Hope y’all have been enjoying the gym tips!

Make sure to follow Brad Bromlow on Instagram @bbromlow

Supplements to help

Here is a supplement I wanted to highlight that can help you with maintaining healthy joints and mobility: TruRecover [link] from PEScience!

Don’t forget… use discount code: brad to get 15% OFF your orders! 

From PEScience:

TruRecover:  TruRecover supports joints and muscle recovery in athletes. Recovery is a necessary process for muscle growth, and supporting joint health and recovery can allow you to continue to have successful training sessions as you increase in strength, intesity, and power. TruRecover supports these two foundational processes of muscle recovery and joint health in just 2 capsules per day, with a research-backed approach.