Improving Ankle Mobility: Tips and Techniques for Mastering Plantar Flexion

Ballet dancers, soccer players, basketball pros, and sprinters—each rely on strong feet and powerful plantar flexion when the foot points down from the leg (think a ballerina en pointe). But it's not just athletes that require plantar flexion to perform; everyone who walks, runs, or jumps uses plantar flexion to propel forward, making this motion crucial for daily functioning.

As with any highly used area of the body, overuse, pain, strain, and injuries can occur in the muscles involved with plantar flexion. But unlike big players, such as the hips and shoulders, little is often discussed or recommended when it comes to feet and ankles. However, without a pain-free and functional foundation, every other action becomes much more challenging.

Keeping your feet and ankles healthy and pain-free starts with learning more about how they function and what you can do to address any current or potential issues. Here, experts provide tips and techniques for ankle mobility and foot strengthening to ward off pain.

'This movement occurs at the ankle joint and is important for activities like walking, running, jumping, and propelling the body forward,' explains Michael Hamlin, NSCA, CSCS and personal trainer with over 15 years of experience, and the Founder of Everflex Fitness. The primary muscles responsible for plantar flexion are the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. 'These muscles work together to generate the force needed to produce plantar flexion and allow you to push forward,' says Hamlin.

Getting a bit more technical, plantar flexion takes place at the talocrural joint, commonly referred to as the ankle joint, which is located between the distal tibia-fibula and the talus. 'While the motion itself takes place at the talocrural joint, your other foot joints work in tandem to accomplish this movement so it is important to have good mobility throughout the foot and ankle,' explains Claire Morrow, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, OCS and manager of physiotherapy at Hinge Health.

The primary muscles involved in plantar flexion are located in the calves, which include the gastrocnemius and soleus.

Other supporting muscles assist with plantar flexion and work to stabilize the ankle during plantar flexion, including other muscles in the calf and back of the leg (plantaris, tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis longus, flexor digitorum longus) and sides of the legs (peroneus longus, peroneus brevis).

The best exercises for improving plantar flexion are those that strengthen the muscles most involved, which—you guessed it—are the calves. Along with strengthening, stretching the calves can relieve the tightness that can contribute to foot pain. 'By combining stretching with strengthening, there is a better chance that we can increase our overall range of motion for the plantar flexion movement,' says Hamlin. Try these exercises to improve plantar flexion.

Standing calf raises work the gastrocnemius, which, if you recall, is the larger calf muscle. 'You should feel a pretty solid burn in the back of your legs below the knee joint,' says Hamlin.

Calf raises are performed using a calf raise machine or by placing weights on your thighs while seated. 'You will typically feel the burn a little bit further down during this exercise because there will be more activation of the soleus muscle,' explains Hamlin. Hint: Any time you bend your knee, you can get more activation out of your soleus.

Stretching the calf muscles can improve ankle mobility and plantar flexion, according to Hamlin.

Morrow shared her favorite position for plantar flexion.

Morrow explains that exercising and moving the ankle regularly is key to maintaining flexibility and range of motion. 'Exercises like swimming or biking can be a great way to target those muscles as both kicking and pedaling require those critical foot and ankle muscles and joints to work together,' she adds.

Regular stretching can keep your tendons and muscles limber and prevent tightness. Hamlin recommends incorporating calf stretches into your daily routine to maintain and improve ankle flexibility. Try a combination of gastrocnemius (standing calf stretches) stretches and soleus (bent knee calf stretches) stretches. Place your heel on the floor and raise your toes upward into dorsiflexion—the opposite of plantar flexion.

Foam rolling can also help relieve tightness and prime your nervous system to release tension that blocks the full range of motion. 'Use a foam roller to massage and release tension in the calf muscles by rolling both higher up on the calves and all the way down to your heel to increase blood flow,' suggests Hamlin. Pro tip: Foam rolling your calves and ankles before a workout can help reduce restrictions in your ankles, so you can get deep during that squat.

Specific ankle mobility exercises, of course, can also boost movement and free up restrictions in your joints and tissues. 'Perform ankle circles, alphabet writing with your toes, and other ankle mobility exercises to maintain joint range of motion,' says Hamlin.

Morrow recommends this particular ankle mobility exercise: stand and place your foot on a chair in front of you, with your hands on the top and bottom of your ankle to stabilize your heel and foot. From there you can move back and forth towards the chair, loosening up the ankle joint. 'This exercise is especially beneficial for anyone coming back from an ankle injury or just getting out of a boot or cast,' she says.

The most common acute injury is what we think of as an ankle sprain, which is spraining any of the ligaments of your ankle, according to Morrow. This can be done through excessive or forced plantar flexion when the body over-points the foot. There are a few additional common injuries that occur due to restrictions, weaknesses, or overuse of the muscles and tissues involved with plantar flexion.

According to Hamlin, Achilles tendonitis is a common injury in athletes who don't take enough rest and take care of their ankle health. Inflammation of the Achilles tendon is usually due to overuse or improper mechanics. 'If we don't have enough strength to produce proper plantar flexion in our movement patterns, we can create stress throughout the rest of the system (i.e., ankle), which can lead to Achilles tendonitis,' explains Hamlin.

Inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the sole of the foot, causes a painful condition called plantar fasciitis, which is very similar to Achilles tendonitis, according to Hamlin. 'I will see this sometimes with athletes that constantly play their sport without enough rest,' he says. If your plantar flexors (gastrocnemius and soleus) are weak, there is an increased risk of plantar fasciitis.

A combination of proactive strategies such as training and stretching, along with lifestyle choices like including rest days and wearing proper footwear will be your best one-two punch for preventing plantar flexion injuries.

Choose shoes that provide adequate support and cushioning for your activities. It is very important to wear good footwear, according to Morrow. 'We frequently see ankle sprains stemming from unstable or poor-quality shoes,' she says.

'If you are used to running with shoes that have lots of cushioning, and you switch to something more minimal, you could start to see ankle and calve injuries sprout up,' warns Hamlin. Either stay with the cushioned shoe or start strengthening your feet and ankles and speak with a professional about how to train with a more minimal shoe setup.

Gradually increase the intensity and duration of exercises to avoid overloading the muscles and tendons. 'Many people in the gym will load up a calve machine with way too much weight; start slow and work your way up,' advises Hamlin. The same goes for running, playing sports, or joining classes such as barre. It's always best to take your time easing into any new activity and back off if you catch a whiff of pain or dysfunction.

Hamlin stresses that many overuse injuries are related to strength deficits in the gastrocnemius and soleus. Make sure that you train both of these enough to withstand the sports and or activities you do.

Regularly stretch and perform mobility exercises to maintain flexibility and prevent tightness as well. 'Tight muscles are the cause of many injuries, so make sure that you stretch enough to prevent ankle/foot injuries,' says Hamlin.

Once you are used to a particular activity level, you may begin to think you're invincible. But, allowing sufficient time for rest and recovery between intense workouts is paramount for avoiding unnecessary injuries. 'If your calves, ankles, and feet are sore from training too hard, take some time off and do light stretching instead,' recommends Hamlin.

By stretching, performing mobility work, and strength exercises for the muscles involved with plantar flexion, you can start to increase the mobility of the ankles and protect your feet from potential strain and injury. Working in time for recovery and repair is crucial, including finding and using correct footwear and taking time off of training. Consult a healthcare provider if you feel pain in your feet that doesn't let up after a few days, is intense, or feels unusual.