My ankles are rocks and I have no kick - I move my legs but nothing happens. I know stretching my ankles will allow me to kick more effectively, but is it worth it? First, a good kick helps in the pool, but does it really matter in a wetsuit? Second, would stretching my ankles increase the chance of a running injury?
Thoughs?
I am absolutely not qualified to answer your questions, but something tells me don’t screw around with your ankles. And if we were all alone on a desert island and you wanted my .02 about kicking in a wetsuit, I would say it is not worth your effort and will use more oxygen than it generates in propulsion.
Not only will the increased flexibility help your kick, but it’ll also keep your Achilles/calf loose and help strengthen all those little muscles/tendons in the front of the shin, as well as stretching/strengthening the plantar fascia. I’d recommend doing calf raises on a set of stairs as part of your routine - standing with the balls of your feet on the edge of the stair, lower slowly and with control as deep as you can go. Hold 2 counts and then raise to the max height - again, slowly and controlled motion. Hold 2 counts, lather rinse repeat. I’d start with 10 reps before and after workouts and build from there.
I also have tight ankles and running is my strength. I’ve started doing a couple hundred yards of kicking while wearing fins to my swim workouts. I do the kicks while on my back to maximize the stretching.
I also do an ankle stretch where I an kneeling with my toes are pointed backwards, effectively trying to make as straight a line as possible from my knee to my toes. OK - given my inflexibility, the profile is more like a mountain range (with my ankle the peak), but it helps provide an image.
Just take it easy to start so you don’t over-stress your muscles, ligaments or tendons.
I haven’t noticed any negative impact on my running.
Martin
inflexible ankles create extra drag in the water and reduces the effeciency in your kick, even though kicking should be fairly minimal in a wetsuit. i don’t believe increasing your ankle flexibility increases your risk for running injury, when you consider the direction in which you would be stretching your ankles. the area for running injuries, via sprains, would occur in the lateral direction, not the north-south direction in which the ankle flexibility for swimming involves. running injury avoidance would be better acheived by incorporating muscle strengthing excercises, not by inflexibility of the ankles. if anything, i think you’d be more prone to injury by having poor flexiblity in the ankles from other overuse related injuries. that said, you don’t need to go overboard and have gymnast flexibility there, just enough that the lack of flexibility does not become a detriment. also consider that a poor kick can come from several other mechanical problems, such as improper body position, kicking too deep, excessive bend in knees, etc., so it would be a good idea to have a knowledgable person to watch and critique your mechanics.