- November 29, 2018
- Home workouts
- Irina Ivanova
The ankle performs the most important functions for our body. But few people think that their ligaments need to be constantly trained so as not to get injured. Weak ankle ligaments can lead to falls on even the smoothest roads. If you decide to run, then first of all think about whether your body is ready for the load? How to strengthen the ankle ligaments, and what exercises you need to do for this, we will learn from this article.
Ankle functions
The main functions of the ankle include:
- Ensuring a vertical body position. Thanks to a strong ankle, we can stand.
- Ability to walk and run. This is also his merit.
People involved in sports or fitness often forget about the importance of properly developed ligaments and muscles of the legs. We spend a lot of time on our feet and do numerous exercises. Well-developed and strengthened muscles will not only prevent injuries, but will also qualitatively improve the results of training. We will learn further how to strengthen the ankle ligaments.
Interview with Sergei Byly
What other exercises should runners use to strengthen their ankles? Sergey Bylym, trainer of the Faktura fitness studio, trail runner, master of physical education and sports, certified personal trainer and group program trainer, certified TRX FTC trainer, participant and winner of the PRO FIT Convention, certified, shared his approaches to training athletes and his experience of working with running enthusiasts. kinesio taping specialist.
– All runners monitor their weekly mileage very carefully, but stretching and various strengthening exercises are what they try to save time on. Tell me, Sergey, is there a minimum that needs to be done if a person runs regularly 3-6 times a week?
– It’s true, as for strengthening exercises, they are far from being a priority in preparation. Because running for most people is just running. However, the form and economy of your running will always be influenced by your fitness.
– Regarding regularity, it all depends on the period and cycle of training. Actually, in the off-season you need to pay maximum attention to exercises to strengthen weaknesses and improve the strength aspect. Here you can highlight 2-3 workouts. As for training during the season, it is worth devoting at least one workout a week to strengthening the muscles of the back, core and legs.
– What are the main problem areas for runners and how to work with them to minimize the occurrence of injuries?
– From my experience, I will say that the main problem for runners is insufficient elasticity of the back of the thigh. This affects the functioning of the joints, and those in turn affect the mobility and efficiency of running. Also, frequent problems arise with the Achilles tendon and calf muscles, which tend to spasm due to constant tension, which also negatively affects running technique, since the foot becomes insufficiently mobile.
– In order to ensure sufficient mobility of the joints, as well as elasticity of the ligaments and muscles, it is necessary to work them out regularly. Often, it is enough to do warm-up and cool-down exercises. But with large training volumes, it is worth working on your “weak” areas separately. Such “prevention” often helps to avoid many problems.
– How different are the requirements for, say, those who like to run “for themselves” and those who run for results?
– They are distinguished by the level of load and the level of stress that comes to the ligaments and joints. Therefore, for those who run for results, it is clearly necessary to pay more attention to the restoration of our body, since progress depends only on how well we recover.
– What additional requirements does trail and mountain running impose on the musculoskeletal system?
– These types of running are characterized by constant changes in the surface with which the foot comes into contact.
– Here I advise (and practice myself:) proprioceptive training. These are workouts that include working on unstable supports. Due to such training, not only does the ankle become stronger, but our brain also teaches us to better feel the contact of the foot with various surfaces and react more quickly to their changes.
– What exercises do you recommend to practice?
Exercises with elastic bands
Strengthens the main muscle groups of the legs (gluteal, adductor muscles of the thigh, fascia lata, and ankle). Execution time: 30 -45 seconds on each side.
Video
Lateral balance jumps
This is a proprioceptive exercise that teaches you to control your body position on various surfaces. I advise you to complicate the execution gradually. First, jumps should be performed on a flat surface, then made more difficult by jumping to low elevations, and even after that you can add instability to the supporting surface.
Perform the exercise by feeling. For those who have a sufficient level of training, I advise you to do the exercises on “tired legs”, which will well simulate race conditions.
Video
– Thank you very much, Sergey!
- To your health
