You may not think about your ankles often. But they play a critical role in supporting your everyday activities, whether you’re training for a marathon or bending to grab your dirty laundry from the floor. However, a variety of factors, including poor footwear and rarely going barefoot, can leave your ankles lacking the necessary flexibility, strength, and mobility.

When your ankles become less mobile, they can no longer properly support your knees, hips, and low back. This makes you more susceptible to injury—and being sidelined from the activities you love. These exercises will allow you to assess the mobility of your ankles and learn how to build it back.

How to Test Your Ankle Mobility

The Knee-to-Wall Test

This exercise assesses your ankle’s mobility. Ideally, its functional range of motion should be at least 10 degrees in a dorsiflexion position, which is when your foot and shin draw toward one another. This degree of mobility is essential for running, climbing and walking with ease. Without this amount of healthy bend, you’re more susceptible to discomfort and injury.

To start, stand with your toes approximately five inches away from a wall or box. (That distance usually equates to a little less than the length of your fist.) Come into a half kneeling position or and square your hips toward the wall. Slowly shift your front knee toward the wall, keeping your heel on the ground. See how close you can get until your heel starts to lift. Take note of your range of motion.

After evaluating the mobility of your ankles, you may want to work on increasing it. These two exercises will do exactly that.

2 Exercises to Improve Ankle Mobility

1. Kettlebell/Dumbbell Ankle Mobilization

This drill will increase both tissue flexibility and the space in your talocrural (ankle) joint, known as accessory mobility, helping build your ankle’s range of motion.

Come into a half kneeling or low lunge position and rest a moderately heavy kettlebell or dumbbell on your thigh above your knee. (If you experience discomfort or pain in your back knee, place a pad or cushion beneath it.) Slowly bend your front knee and shift it as far forward as your ankle allows while keeping your heel on the ground. Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat five to 10 times on each side.

After completing this movement, you can reassess your ankle mobility with the knee-to-wall test. The change in mobility should be noticeable immediately.

2. Banded Ankle Mobilization

Like the previous exercise, this exercise will help increase the space in your ankle joint, giving you a more functional range of motion.

Attach one end of a heavy resistance band to an immovable object. Position the other end around your ankle bones. Depending on your preference, you can prop your foot on a box or a bench or leave it on the ground. Keep your heel planted as you shift your knee forward until you feel a stretch in the front and back of your ankle. Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat five times on each leg. Following this movement, reevaluate your ankle mobility with the knee-to-wall test.

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When it comes to training, your feet tend to be an afterthought. But they shouldn’t be. As athletes, you require balance, bodily awareness, and motor control to excel at running, climbing, and hiking. That all starts in the feet.

Certain exercises can strengthen the little muscles of your feet (your foot intrinsics) and increase mobility among your metatarsals, a critical group of bones in your feet. They also support the arch of your foot, helping to keep plantar fasciitis or general inflammation of your plantar fascia at bay.

Your feet need to be strong, stable, and flexible not only for their own sake but also in order to keep your ankles, knees, and hips supported and safely aligned.The following exercises can improve mobility in your feet and ankles. With these movements, you’ll increase your stability and balance, providing you with the tools you need to succeed in the sports you love. You can opt to practice them individually or all of them at once. I typically recommend doing each exercise in three sets of 10 to 15 reps of each exercise twice a day.

If you experience foot pain, consult with your healthcare provider before incorporating these exercises into your training.

9 Exercises to Increase Strength and Mobility in Your Feet

1. Toe Splaying

In this exercise, simply stretch your big toe and little toe as wide as they can go laterally, or to the side.

2. Big Toe Activation

Separate your big toe from your smaller toes, or metatarsals, by lifting it away from the floor. Hold in this position for one second before releasing down.

3. Short Foot

If you have “low arches” or need sneakers with arch support in order to run or walk without discomfort, the following exercise can help build strength and mobility.

Perform this exercise in a seated position with your feet hip-distance apart. Place a small resistance band around your mid foot, in front of your ankles. Plant your toes firmly on the ground and gently push into the band, one foot at a time, without scrunching up your toes. You want to lift your arch toward the ceiling while leaving your toes and heel on the floor. You should feel a gentle muscle activation along the bottom of your foot. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds.

4. Calf Raises with Ball Hold

Do you routinely wear sneakers with a narrow toe box? If so, you’ll need to pay attention to their effect on your feet. These types of shoes can change your gait pattern, disable optimal toe movement, and even cause bunions or hammer toes.Using a “prop” during exercise can help ensure you maintain alignment while activating a specific muscle.

To start, grab a lacrosse or massage ball and place it between your heels. From standing, perform a calf raise while holding the ball between your heels. (You can place your hand against a wall for balance.) Focus on how high you can go on your toes while keeping the ball in place. Pay special attention to lowering your heels with control.

5. Arch Isolation

This exercise targets the stability of your foot’s arch.

Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart. Press your big toe into the floor while keeping your smaller toes flat on the floor. Try to avoid scrunching your toes. Place a narrow band around your big toe and start to pull the band across your body to your opposite side. (You can place your hand on a chair for support. If you don’t have a band easily accessible, you can also use a scarf.) Think of this as a “fish hook” that lifts your arch toward the ceiling. Make sure to continue to hold tension in the band with your big toe; the band can snap up if your toe loses its grip. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

6. Double Leg Hops

If you’re a sprinter, you’re likely focused on a key aspect in your training: explosive power. Plyometric exercises are a simple way to target that type of movement. Before you begin, make sure that you can hop without pain. Mark a line on the floor using a jump rope, strap, resistance band, tape, or chalk. Keeping your feet close to one another, bend your knees and hop over the line forward, backward, and side to side. Do 20 to 30 reps.

7. Single Leg Hops

For a challenge, try a single leg hop. As with the double leg hops, move over the line forward and backward as well as side to side. Do 10 reps on each leg.

You can also integrate jump roping into this movement to practice stability and coordination in a Tabata-style warm-up. Perform 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for eight rounds. You can also try this without sneakers for an added challenge for your feet. Over time, you can lengthen your sustained effort from 20 seconds to 1 minute.

8. Plate or Box Jumps

Another way to add plyometrics into your routine is with box jumps. If you’re not ready for full box height, you can begin by stacking weight plates.

Make sure to jump and land with both feet. When you stand up on the plates or box, be sure to be in full hip extension by fully squeezing your glute muscles before you carefully step back to the floor. As you become more comfortable with the exercise, you can increase the height of the plates, eventually graduating to a 16- or 20-inch box. Add these into your warm-up or workout three times per week to improve your explosive power.

9. Weighted Hops

Adding resistance is an easy way to vary your plyometrics routine.

With a light dumbbell in each hand, keep the weights close to your body and practice small hops. Make sure not to jump too high. Instead, focus on ensuring that a small sliver of daylight is able to just pass beneath your feet. Start with a 30-second interval. As you become more comfortable with this exercise over time, you can increase the time interval to the point where you begin to feel some fatigue in your calves.

If hopping is uncomfortable, you can perform this exercise with a heavy resistance band attached to a rig to assist with jumping. Try to build up to an interval of 60 to 90 seconds of consistent hopping before moving on to unassisted jumping or substituting for a lighter band.

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The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, and excessive mobility demands stability. Many types of athletes—including climbers, cyclists, weightlifters, and triathletes—should build and maintain shoulder stability to prevent injuries.

If you use your upper body in any capacity while you exercise, even just for stabilization while your lower body does most of the apparent work, the muscles around your shoulder joints must be strong to support you during your daily activities.��

As a physical therapist and CrossFit coach, shoulder injuries are the most common issue I see among athletes, especially seasoned ones. There are three main reasons for shoulder injury in my experience: poor mobility, inadequate strength, and improper form or bad lifting mechanics. Day-to-day movements, such as slouching while working, picking kids up with bad posture, or any repetitive movements, can also provoke injuries.

One or all of these things can be the culprit, and taking action before a minor ache turns into a serious issue can save you time, money, and stress. All it takes is some basic maintenance—and it doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective.

Here are three of my favorite��tried-and-true shoulder stability movements I use with my clients:��

1. Standing or Half-Kneeling Row/External Rotation/Press

This exercise is actually three movements that can be performed as a sequence or done individually. Make sure you can do each step with good form before putting them all together.��

The target muscle groups are your posterior chain and the back, shoulder, and core muscles that support your rotator cuff. Strengthening these muscles is essential for many activities that require upper-body strength.��

How to Do It

Get into a half-kneeling position, stepping forward with the foot opposite of the shoulder you plan to work. If half kneeling is too challenging for you, perform this exercise standing. Use a band that has anywhere from 10 to 30 pounds of resistance, depending on your upper-body strength.��

For the first part of this exercise, hold the band with your arm straight out, shift your shoulder blade back, and perform a row while keeping your elbow and shoulder at 90 degrees. Hold his position for a three count.��

Next, externally rotate your shoulder so that your palm is facing forward, and hold this position for another three count.��

Finally, press up so that your elbow is fully straight and locked out by your ear. Hold for a three count in this position.��

Aim to do three to four sets of 12 to 15 reps to build endurance. Move through each of these positions with good form, maintaining 90-degree angles at your shoulder and elbow.��If you feel any pain, don’t push through it.��

Tips: Maintain a neutral lumbar spine, avoiding any increased bending in your low back in this position. If your arm ends up slightly in front of you as you build strength, that is OK. ��

2. Bottom-Up Kettlebell Press/Static Hold in Half Kneeling��

Nothing challenges overhead stability quite like an unfamiliar object. A kettlebell, if you have access to one, is an excellent tool to build overhead endurance and stability. This move can also be performed with a dumbbell held vertically for a similar effect.

The bottom-up kettlebell press and the static hold are both done while kneeling. This will not only challenge your shoulder stability, but also your midline and core control.��

How to Do It

While half kneeling, position a kettlebell in the bottom-up position with the handle downward. Brace your core and press upward until your elbow is locked out next to your ear. Make sure you are not hyperextending at your lower back (Think: ribs down).��

Lower the bell into the front-rack position with your shoulder and elbow at 90 degrees and your elbow facing forward. Press back up to the locked out position, and repeat until you’ve completed the target number of reps.

Perform three sets of eight per side, gradually increasing your reps to 12 to 15��before increasing the weight.��

If pressing the kettlebell overhead is too difficult, try starting out with a static hold. Again, position the kettlebell in the bottom-up position, and get into half kneeling. Bring the kettlebell to the front-rack position with your elbow and shoulder at 90 degrees.

Here, retract your shoulder blade as you perform a static hold. (Think: pull the shoulder down and back.) Begin with 15 to 20 seconds, eventually progressing to three sets of 60 seconds.

Once you’re comfortable maintaining this position, revisit the bottom-up press to see if your shoulder has the stability to perform the full movement.��

3. Scapular Y Raise

Another exercise I love for improving the strength and stability of your shoulder blade is a Y raise. This plane of motion (45 degrees in front of the body) is perfect for learning how to engage the scapular muscles, which are responsible for moving and supporting your shoulder blades.��

How to Do It

Begin by squeezing your shoulder blades down and back to engage your scapular muscles.��

With your thumbs pointed up, raise your arms into the Y position, to shoulder height, and hold at the top for a five count.��

Slowly lower down with control. These holds at the top position promote endurance when performing other overhead movements in and out of the gym.��

Begin with two sets of 15, eventually progressing to three sets of 15. Start with a light weight between one and five pounds—you will be surprised how challenging this exercise becomes through the repetitions, even with very little resistance.

Incorporate all of the above exercises into your routine to build shoulder stability and strength that will translate to all your favorite outdoor activities as well as your daily life.

Genevieve Gyulavary is a doctor of physical therapy, CrossFit Level I-certified trainer, and co-owner and coach at in South Windsor, Connecticut.��

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