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.
Parents
Former Member
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. Hi Fortress my dear ;-)
I tend to agree with you that not everyone is made for running, and that ankle stability (moreover its impact on leg alignment) plays a big role in making your life as a runner easy or painful.
Most could probably still get away safe and sound by consulting a competent specialist in adapted insole. But even a carefully picked pair of insole won't match a stable pair of ankles.
Of course (as you already know) a nice and slow progression in volume increase also helps. I started a friend of mine at the office last year (47yo swimmer). 10min of running 3xweek, adding 5 minutes to every workout every week until he reached 30min.
Then make 1 session (not all of them) longer by 5min a week until he reached 90min.
That brought him to run one half marathon and one half Ironman. For the first time of his life, he didn't suffer shin splints.
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. Hi Fortress my dear ;-)
I tend to agree with you that not everyone is made for running, and that ankle stability (moreover its impact on leg alignment) plays a big role in making your life as a runner easy or painful.
Most could probably still get away safe and sound by consulting a competent specialist in adapted insole. But even a carefully picked pair of insole won't match a stable pair of ankles.
Of course (as you already know) a nice and slow progression in volume increase also helps. I started a friend of mine at the office last year (47yo swimmer). 10min of running 3xweek, adding 5 minutes to every workout every week until he reached 30min.
Then make 1 session (not all of them) longer by 5min a week until he reached 90min.
That brought him to run one half marathon and one half Ironman. For the first time of his life, he didn't suffer shin splints.
