Pete RohlederHi everyone! Welcome to the More to Movement podcast, the show about why your movement matters and how to get optimal results through science-backed practical solutions.
Today is part 2 of my top 3, go-to movement assessments to pinpoint areas of improvement, where I go over the simple but ever so revealing half-kneeling ankle mobility assessment. The foot and ankle may not seem like a big deal, but if you have mobility limitations here, you probably have overcompensations everywhere. Back right after this!
Hey movers! Welcome back to the show!
As I stated in the intro, the foot and ankle often get looked over. Its kind of like picking teams for dodgeball when you were young- usually, the big, strong, tall kids were the first picked, and the smaller ones were left as scraps. Sometimes, the small kids were the ones that surprised you with their quickness and agility.
The same goes for the foot and ankle. Though it’s a relatively small area, it packs a huge punch regarding movement quality. If this area is neglected, you likely have overcompensations and movement discrepancies elsewhere that stem back to overtension at the big toe, foot, or ankle.
Half-kneeling Wall Ankle Mobility Test
As I mentioned in episode #8: Kinetic Chains, ankle mobility contributes significantly to a majority of discrepancies during the squat, not to mention most functional daily movements, so it’s worth exploring a bit more with a specific assessment.
One of the main reasons the feet and ankles contribute to movement in such a significant way is that they are the contact point with the ground. They are the first interaction with the ground reactions forces we use throughout our bodies.
Forces are transferred through our bodies via our interaction with the ground. How efficient that force transfers is influenced by how well our feet and ankles mitigate and transmit those forces.
If our big toe range of motion is subpar, or our plantar fascia is bound up, or our ankles are locked up, tissues up the kinetic chain will have to adjust to accommodate the movement demands, leading to further hypertonic tissue and injury.
Of course, we don’t help the situation with the footwear we chose. Let’s be honest- most of the time, it’s based on fashion, not function. We wear shoes with wedges or heals that put us in the chronic plantarflexed position, locking up our heel cord and posterior chain. We wear shoes with so much cushion and padding that our toes, feet, and ankles aren’t required to move through a full range of motion and have diminished their response to impact and force. Simply put, they’ve gone soft and can’t handle any stress.
Here’s an experiment. Put your hands out in front of you, pointing your fingers straight out. Now lift only your index fingers up toward the sky and leave the others straight ahead. Now flip it- point the index fingers down toward the ground and leave the other fingers in place. Not a problem, huh? Now, point your feet and toes out in a similar way.
Lift only your big toes up toward the sky, and leave the other toes straight ahead. Now point the big toes down and keep your other toes straight. How many of you couldn’t do it, or at least couldn’t do it well? Anyone’s feet cramp?
As you can see, this drives the point home, and we need to realize the importance our feet and ankles play, and that having an adequate range of motion is essential for optimal movement.
The Half-kneeling Wall Ankle Mobility assessment can help determine if we have the appropriate amount of range of motion needed for efficient movement.
Remember, I’ll have graphics of this assessment on the show note’s page at moretomovement.com/episode12, and I have a “correction cheat sheet” of the common muscles that need to be addressed based on what discrepancy you notice. This will be in my Vault at moretomovement.com. If this is something you want, sign up on the site to gain access to the Vault, where I have expert tips and resources for those who want to enhance their movement journey. It’s all free, so come join me!
To perform this assessment:
- Find a wall and place one hand, pinky side longways against the wall- this is a quick measurement of where your toes will be placed. Put your toes of one foot at the thumb of the hand that is against the way, then remove that hand. Now, if you have a ruler and want a bit more accuracy, measure five inches from the wall and place your toes there, facing the wall. If not, the hand-to-toe method will get you by.
- Knee down on the back knee and place your hands on the front knee.
- Leading with the front knee, lean forward and try to touch the wall with your front knee, keeping the foot planted and your heel on the ground the entire time.
- If you touch the wall, you pass; if not, it needs work. Switch legs and repeat to compare. If you touched the wall easily without much effort, you might want to elect to measure the five inches to see if you pass with that standard. Also, take note if your feet start to flatten, or turn, or your heels come up. Just like the squat, those compensations are indicative of some dysfunction.
Takeaways
If you don’t pass, it is indicative that the plantarflexors, or your calves, are overactive. Spend some time releasing and stretching those muscles. There are three muscles you may want to address: the gastrocnemius, the superficial, two-headed calf muscle, the soleus, the deeper, large calf muscle that sits right under the gastric, and often neglected and forgotten peroneals (also known as the fibularis muscles) that are lateral and run right behind the lateral malleolus (ankle bone) and help plantarflex the ankle as well. Further, I would get into the plantar fascia at the bottom of the foot and make your way up to the big toe. Remember, I’ll be chatting about different mobility techniques and ways to address poor ankle mobility in future episodes, so keep an eye out.
Take some time to address each of these, and you’ll be amazed at how much improvement you see.
Let me know what you think! Did you discover something about your movement through this assessment? Are your feet and ankles in worse shape than you thought? Are you interested in some mobility techniques to start correcting these issues? Let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can find me on Instagram @pete.rohleder.
Thanks for joining me today, and I appreciate you taking some time to tune into the show. Next time I’ll chat about the last go-to assessment that deals with the shoulder complex. I’m looking forward to it!
Take care of yourselves, and remember, wherever you are, keep moving.
Pete Rohleder
