How do triathletes and tennis players work on the ankle flexibility?

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!

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. Hi Solar, my dear: I'm feeling a little shin splinty lately. I fear I have upped my mileage too quickly with the lure of spring and sunshine. It's not too bad though. I also recently replaced my running shoes. Unfortunately, my old running shoes have mysteriously vanished -- and my custom orthodics (for loose ankled overpronators) were in them. ***. :sad: I'm going to the running store to get some insoles tomorrow. My bones are not deformed, Lefty! Feisty: Mini-Fort played soccer for years with a travel team before recently quitting. She has loose ankles and was getting chronic ankle sprains. Both of us feel we have a compromised ankle. I've done ankle rehab and I'm not sure if the ankle I injured running will ever be quite the same. I guess I need to do my strengthening exercises more regularly. Mr. Fort and Fortson are runners. They do not have flexible ankles at all. So I have to think genetics plays some role, although proper training can compensate for a deficit either way.

I had no problems with my ankles when I took up running during college swimming. At that point I had been swimming for about 10 years so I'm guessing my ankles were at their most flexible. My ankle problems started showing up a few years later when I had quit swimming. That being said, I think that swimming increases flexibility but also some strength and stability. If you think about it, every push off the wall uses the ankles and feet. Between the walls, flexibility is important. At the walls it is strength and stability. My incoherent thoughts this morning before having any :coffee: .

Like for most triathletes, I think that it's possible to reach a level of flexibility that is sufficient for decent performances to take place, without degrading stability (for other sports). Flexibility should improve by itself if you let your ankles be relaxed when you perform kicking sets. You can't really control flexibility, but you DO control the fact of relaxing this region. Flexibility can only improve while the feet are relaxed and floppy. To improve this aspect, a simple drill I like consist of kicking (with a board) alternating between very relaxed and slow pace with very hard and fast pace. "Fast/Slow" segments duration is totally up to you. You don't need to count the length (free your mind. Don't bother counting anything). I find that most people when they first get into this drill are kicking the "Slow" segments too fast, and the "Fast" segments too slow. The idea is to go as slowly as possible when you go slow. You focus on letting the ankles being floppy and relaxed. Then hopefully, when you kick fast and hard some of this relaxation gets transfered and improvement in flexibility takes place as a result of increasing the pressure (by kicking real hard). I dunno if these clips still work fine, but if yes then here's a clip about flexibility and floppiness. www.dropshots.com/day.php here's one where I kick as slowly as I possibly can. Notice that even though water is splashing a bit, there is zero effort in this clip. Just relaxation and floppiness. www.dropshots.com/day.php And finally, here's one where I kick fast. Me (and this is only limited to me) I like to kick fast on top of water (not saying it's the best way to kick, but it's my way). I don't like to make the effort of kicking underneath the surface. www.dropshots.com/day.php

... I recently read in an article that ankle flexibility comes at the cost of ankle instability (= higher propensity for ankle sprain).... I’m not sure that I’d agree with that, but what do I know. :-| See my reply to your leg buoyancy post regarding the standing/balancing exercise that helps to strengthen the ankles, and help keep them flexible. Most kicking advice that I’ve heard is that you want the ankles “loose”. I’ve seen some posts regarding the lack of ankle flexibility being a problem (like this one on “Aquabrakes”). In the American Red Cross (ARC) Swimming and Water Safety manual (which includes stroke technique) a part of the propulsion portion of the front crawl kick is described as being “when the foot snaps downward”. I can’t imagine doing the flutter kick with the ankle locked solid. The whip kick in breaststroke requires a LOT of ankle flexibility and strength. I’d say keep on keeping on with your ankle flexibility regimen. I would think the bigger problem for runners and tennis players would be the beating your joints (especially the ankles) take from all the pounding after the repeated impacts. Swimming is fairly low impact. Open Water (OW) swimming is pretty much zero impact (except that I hear you collide with other swimmers in OW competitions). ...

Flexibility - Not only the ankles but the fore arms - I just tried to do the junior birdman thing. I found I could not do it without causing major pain in my forearms.