Tight ankles = more pain?
Why this matters:
An overlooked motion in the ankle is called “dorsiflexion”. This means pulling the ball of the foot up towards the ceiling. Dorsiflexion is needed in order for the foot to clear the ground when taking a step. However, when tight, you’ll have to turn your foot out to allow your leg to swing forward. Doing this over and over again leads to a hip that will feel consistently tight and a back that pinches your sciatic nerve.
This is often due to tight calf muscles. Relieving calf tightness can maximize ankle motion and allow your leg to swing the way that it should, straight ahead; rather than out. This results in less pinching and ultimately less pain.
Action steps:
Roll out your calf muscles. Grab a foam roller, or anything round and hard. Place it under your calves and gently roll it out. They are often overworked, so expect to feel some tenderness. I recommend 90s to 2 minutes per side. See how you feel afterward.
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