How do triathletes and tennis players work on the ankle flexibility?
Former Member
While I keep working on increasing my ankle flexibility, I recently read in an article that ankle flexibility comes at the cost of ankle instability (= higher propensity for ankle sprain), which spells trouble for runners and tennis players.
Tennis being my other favorite sport, this puts me in a dilemma.
Are there master swimmers out there who also maintain competitiveness in tennis or running, or is this a "you can't have a cake and eat it too" situation?
I am hoping that I can become competitive in swimming with ankles that are stable (read rigid in swimming) enough for tennis as well.
While I keep working on increasing my ankle flexibility, I recently read in an article that ankle flexibility comes at the cost of ankle instability (= higher propensity for ankle sprain), which spells trouble for runners and tennis players.
Unlike Bud (who is probably more vigilant than I), I find this to be somewhat true. I have very loose flexible ankles naturally. I ran for many years, but when I increased the distance, ended up injured. Sprained ankle and stress fracture in the ankle. I switched to masters swimming, which I appear to be more genetically suited for. The loose ankles really help on the SDKs. I wear fins a fair amount (to save the shoulders). Those have made my ankles even more flexible. I still run, but I have to be very cautious: stability running shoes, running on dirt, and I sometimes tape my ankle. I can do both, but then I don't compete at running anymore. I don't know about tennis, but I think that would be somewhat hard on the ankles and knees because you're constantly pivoting. I guess I would do both flexibility and strengthening exercises, if I were you. I do strengthening exercises when I remember to, particularly the one Bud mentions above. Good luck!
While I keep working on increasing my ankle flexibility, I recently read in an article that ankle flexibility comes at the cost of ankle instability (= higher propensity for ankle sprain), which spells trouble for runners and tennis players.
Unlike Bud (who is probably more vigilant than I), I find this to be somewhat true. I have very loose flexible ankles naturally. I ran for many years, but when I increased the distance, ended up injured. Sprained ankle and stress fracture in the ankle. I switched to masters swimming, which I appear to be more genetically suited for. The loose ankles really help on the SDKs. I wear fins a fair amount (to save the shoulders). Those have made my ankles even more flexible. I still run, but I have to be very cautious: stability running shoes, running on dirt, and I sometimes tape my ankle. I can do both, but then I don't compete at running anymore. I don't know about tennis, but I think that would be somewhat hard on the ankles and knees because you're constantly pivoting. I guess I would do both flexibility and strengthening exercises, if I were you. I do strengthening exercises when I remember to, particularly the one Bud mentions above. Good luck!
