THE ROLE & POSITION OF ANKLES IN RUNNING

In Pose Running it is recommended to hold your ankle in a neutral position, meaning your ankle should not be flexed, locked or forced into any specific position at any specific angle. Just let it be. This alone will help you eliminate quite a few potential problems that inevitably lead to injuries.

A neutral position of an ankle is the relaxed position that does not require any deliberate action or muscle activity, nor does it require any focus. What you should focus on are the strengthening exercises for this area (muscles, tendons and ligaments) and running drills before you run.

Common popular recommendations to hold your ankles at a certain angles when running is like suggesting to hold your elbow at a certain angle when bringing a cup to your mouth to take a sip. It doesn't work that way does it? Rigid or locked ankle position is an incorrect way to use your natural "suspension system". Can you imagine how you would run or walk or move at all if you didn't have ankles connecting your feet to your legs? Yes, a funny picture comes to mind. So allow your ankles to do their job, the best thing you can do is recognize their "contribution", so to say, and stay out of the way. Compare to muscles or bones, joints cannot get stronger, so they only way to avoid injuries and overuse or misuse is to simply use them the right way.

Ankle is the joint between the foot and the leg, in which movement occurs in two planes. So, allow that movement to occur as the situation dictates. The keyword here is "allow". Let it occur. Do not try to position your ankles at any specific angle.

Our joints play a very important role in our movement, as well as serve an important role as part of an entire muscular skeletal suspension system that absorbs the previous movement and helps transform the energy and the forces into the next one. Our ankles give us a unique ability to adjust the position and balance of our entire body, be it in response to terrain, particular necessary action like a jump needed to get over a ditch, or something else.

Consider the bigger picture. When moving (or moving forward) different parts of your body operate as one unit - your body moving forward in space and time. Your feet play the role of support. They provide support for the entire structure. It is vital to allow your ankles the freedom of movement so they can naturally and automatically adjust the position of the foot inline with the position of the entire body. If you have your ankles locked and geared up for a particular angle on landing than you're robbing yourself of your body's natural abilities all the while putting in more effort and spending energy when it is not required and can easily be avoided.

We do recommend strengthening your feet, legs and your hips. Jumping rope exercises are a must. This will help your entire "suspension system" become much stronger and more reliable and able to withstand any demand placed upon it especially when running or jumping.

Article by Dr. Nicholas Romanov
Composed by L. Romanov