Slips, Trips and Falls:

The ankle (and the foot) are the first point of contact with the ground which affects how you are able to distribute weight and remain upright and steady. The ankle is the first major joint that absorbs the shock from the ground so it is very important to have good mobility to adjust to keep you strong. Having tight or weak ankles will result in decreased balance as well as increase the risk of injury and falls. Multiple studies have shown that a lack of ankle mobility, especially into dorsiflexion (toes towards nose) results in an increased risk for falls. As adults age, we tend to lose ankle mobility if we do not actively work on it.

• Take a tape measure and measure 10cm from the wall.
• Place great toe at that distance, other foot back a foots distance.
• Bend front knee trying to touch wall while keeping heel down.
• If knee cannot touch wall, move closer until knee can touch and measure distance from wall to foot.
• Test both sides–looking for symmetry between the 2 measurements.
• Less than 9-10cm is considered restricted.
• Tips: try not to allow foot arch to completely collapse

Calf Rolling:

Using a foam roller, tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or racquet ball find the tender spots in your calf and gently massage for 2-3 minutes.

Step Stretch:

Start in a standing position with a chair or wall next to you. Step onto the stair with your heels hanging off the edge and slowly lower your heels toward the ground until you feel a stretch in the back of your lower legs and hold.

Half Kneel Ankle Dorsiflexion Stretch:

Start in half kneel position. Shift weight forward onto front foot to encourage knee over toe posture thereby stretching into dorsiflexion.

Standing Tibialis Anterior Strengthening:

This exercise can be done sitting or lying down to begin, if standing is too difficult. Stand against a wall or near a counter top for balance. Bring toes towards nose as high as
possible and then return to starting position and repeat.