Most people over the age of 60 have started to lose this specific movement without even realizing it – and a physiotherapist says it’s key to staying independent.

What if I told you that if you lose a certain movement, everyday activities like walking, squatting to pick something up, and even climbing stairs become ten times harder? The really scary part is that more than 50% of people over the age of 60 have already started to lose it, and most don’t realize it’s happening until their quality of life deteriorates.

This movement is called decisive Ankle dorsiflexion. It is the simple action of pulling your toes towards your leg. It may seem like a small and insignificant movement, but it is one of the most important movements for your entire body if you want to move well and stay independent for life. When you lose it, life becomes much more difficult, very quickly. But there is good news. You can get this precious movement back, and the changes are often quick. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly why this movement is important and how you can get it back. (Based on insights from Will Harlow, physiotherapist)

Key takeaways

• Biomotion: Ankle dorsiflexion, the ability to pull your toes toward your leg, is essential for safely squatting, walking, and descending stairs.
• Problem: More than half of adults over the age of 60 have limited dorsiflexion, leading to an increased risk of knee pain, poor balance and falls.
• the reason: A combination of joint stiffness, muscle tightness (in the calf), and Muscle weakness (in the legs) – what I call the “bad three” – is responsible for the loss of mobility.
• the solution: You can regain lost ankle motion with a targeted, three-part approach: joint mobilization to fix stiffness, stretching to fix tightness, and strengthening exercises to fix weakness.

1. Why ankle dorsiflexion is your body’s unsung hero

You probably don’t think about your ankles much until you twist one. But it’s the range of motion in your ankle joint that determines how the rest of your body moves. When you lack dorsiflexion, a chain reaction occurs to compensate, putting unnecessary stress on other areas.

You can’t squat properly: Think about how many times a day you squat, like getting out of a chair, grocery shopping, or playing with the grandchildren. A proper squat requires that your knees be able to move forward over your toes. Ankle dorsiflexion is literally the movement that allows this to happen. Without it, you can’t approach a 90-degree squat without your heels lifting off the ground and completely off balance. You are forced to compensate by bending excessively at the hips and back, which is ineffective and can lead to strain.

Going downstairs becomes dangerous: Going down stairs safely also requires knee-over-toe movement. Allows you to control your descent. Without enough dorsiflexion, your body has to find another way to get down. This often involves turning your feet outward, slamming your foot down with each step, or putting enormous pressure on your knee joint to absorb the impact. Research in European Journal of Physiology confirms this, demonstrating that individuals with weak ankle dorsiflexion place much greater stress on their knees.

It can lead to more falls: Perhaps most important, loss of dorsiflexion is directly linked to an increase in falls. Studies have shown that older people who have less of this mobility fall more often and have significantly worse balance. When you walk, you should be able to lift your toes to clear the floor. If your ankle is stiff and the muscles in the front of your leg are weak, you’re more likely to hit your foot on a carpet or an uneven piece of pavement. These trips represent a major and often devastating problem for people over 60 years of age.

2. Get to know the “bad three”: the culprits behind stiff ankles

So why does this vital movement disappear with age? It’s rarely one thing. Instead, there are three problems that I call the “evil three” working together: rigidity, tightness, and weakness.

• hardness: This refers to a loss of movement within the ankle joint itself. Think of it like a rusty door hinge. The joint capsule and surrounding soft tissue slowly shrink due to lack of use, preventing the bone from sliding smoothly. The joint becomes physically restricted.
• narrow: This relates to the muscles that cross the joint. The primary muscles that limit dorsiflexion are the leg muscles. When your calf is chronically tight, it acts like a rope that physically prevents you from being able to lift your toes upwards. A sedentary lifestyle, years of wearing high-heeled shoes, or simply not stretching enough can cause these muscles to shorten.
• weakness: For every movement there is an opposition movement. The muscle responsible for pulling your toes up (dorsiflexion) is called the tibialis anterior, and it runs along the front of your leg. When this muscle weakens, you lose the ability to lift your foot effectively. This is a classic case of “use it or lose it”. If you don’t exercise this muscle effectively, it weakens, making you more likely to stumble.

When these three factors are combined, some people can lose almost all functional dorsiflexion. But you can fight and beat the three bad guys.

3. Step 1: Eliminate stiffness by moving the ankle chair

To fix the stiffness, we need a filling procedure. This is simply a series of gentle, repetitive movements designed to loosen tight joint tissues and restore flexibility. This is my favorite for the ankle.

1. Find a sturdy chair, such as a dining room chair, and place it against a wall with the seat facing you.
2. Place the foot of the leg you want to work on on top of the bench, with your foot flat.
3. It is crucial that you keep your heels flat on the seat of the chair throughout this entire exercise. If your heel goes up, you defeat the target.
4. Sit tall, place your hands on your knee, and gently push your knee forward over your toes as far as you can comfortably reach, to the point where you can feel your heel He wants To raise. This is your limit.
5. Hold on to the back of the chair for support. Now, move rhythmically in and out of this final range. Push your knee slightly beyond its limit, then come back. It’s a small movement, maybe a few inches back and forth.
6. You simply go into a state of stiffness, and then back down, over and over again. This is how we mobilize a Solid joint.

Do 20 to 30 repetitions in a row, which should take about 30 seconds. Aim to do this three times daily on the ankle you are trying to repair. If you do this daily, you will notice a huge difference in just a few weeks.

4. Step 2: Overcome tightness with the classic leg stretch

Next, we need to address the tightness in the leg muscles. Continuous stretching is key to lengthening these muscles and allowing the ankle to move more freely.

1. Stand facing a wall or kitchen surface and place your hands on it for support.
2. Step the leg you want to extend straight back behind you. The other leg should be bent in front.
3. It is very important that you keep your back foot facing straight forward and that the entire foot, especially the heel, is firmly planted on the ground.
4. Keeping your back leg straight, bend your front knee and lean forward until you feel a stretch in your back calf.
5. You’re looking for moderate stretching, about a 4 or 5 on a 10-point intensity scale. Research shows that aggressive and painful stretching is actually counterproductive. Gentle and consistent is the way to go.
6. Hold this stretch for a full 30 seconds. Anything less than that only results in a very temporary change. Holding for 30 seconds signals your muscles that they can relax and lengthen safely.

Perform this stretch for 30 seconds on each side you want to improve. Return to it three to five times throughout the day. It takes just a few minutes each day, and within two to three weeks, you’ll feel much better.

5. Step 3: Eliminate the weakness by Tib Raise

Finally, we must address weakness in the tibialis anterior muscle on the front of your leg. This single exercise is incredibly effective.

1. Stand with your back, shoulders and butt against a wall.
2. Walk with your feet about 1 foot to 18 inches from the wall. There should be a gap between your heel and the base of the wall.
3. Keeping your shoulders and butt against the wall with your knees slightly bent, pull your toes and the balls of your feet toward your legs. You will be rocking on your heels.
4. Focus on contracting that muscle in the front of your leg. Wait for a second at the top.
5. Slowly and with control, lower your feet to the floor.
6. Repeat this movement up and down. You can do this barefoot on smooth ground, but wearing shoes may be more comfortable on your heels.

Aim to perform between 10 and 20 repetitions in a row. By the end of the set, you should feel a noticeable pain or burning in your leg muscles. If that seems too easy, simply walk your feet away from the wall to increase your range of motion. Perform three sets of this exercise on the days you do it, four or five days a week. A few weeks of this effort will make a big difference in your gait and reduce your risk of stumbling.

The bottom line: regain your mobility

Losing the ability to move freely is not an inevitable part of aging. Loss of ankle dorsiflexion is a widespread problem, but it is also a solvable one. By consistently applying this triple attack against the “bad three”—mobilizing a stiff joint, stretching tight muscles, and strengthening weak muscles—you can quickly regain that precious mobility.

Don’t accept that walking, climbing stairs, and staying active have to be difficult. By devoting just a few minutes each day to these simple exercises, you can improve your balance, reduce your risk of falling, and take a powerful step toward maintaining your independence and mobility for life.

source: Will Harlow