Are you Fit to Run? - Ankle Range

Why is it important?

Restricted ankle range will increase the likelihood of overpronation and possibly up 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.

How to test it

Stand barefoot facing a wall (ideally without a skirting board). Put one foot forward and bring the knee of the front leg to touch the wall while keeping the foot pointing directly forward and the heel in contact with the floor. Don't let the foot roll inwards. Now shuffle your foot back and see if you can still maintain the position (knee in contact with the wall, heel in contact with the floor). Continue to move your foot back until you reach the furthest point at which you can achieve this. Now measure the distance between the end of your big toe and the wall. Swap sides. Compare your measurement with the scores shown below.

Distance from wall    Points
>12cm                         5
10-12cm                      4
7-9cm                          3
4-6cm                          2
1-3cm                          1

Scored 3 or less?

Your first port of call is regular calf stretching - stretch with your knee bent and straight to target the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. One way of doing this is to hang the back half of your foot off a step. Hold for 60 seconds. "As soon as you've stretched, go straight into a movement that puts the new range of motion into practice," advises Giles.

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. If a couple of weeks of regular stretching doesn't improve your score, it's worth getting an experienced physiotherapist to investigate other possible causes of your limited ankle range