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Common Surfing Injuries – Ankles
Common Surfing Injuries – Ankles
Ankles are one of the most common joints injured whilst surfing and having adequate ankle mobility and stability are very important for surfing performance. Research has found ankle injuries to be increasingly prevalent, particularly amongst competitive surfers due to the demands of aerial surfing and other progressive manouveres.
Important elements of the prevention of ankle injuries include having adequate ankle range of movement. Having good ankle range of motion helps to protect the ankle against injury sustained from forceful landings, and also assists in the prevention of other lower limb injuries such as knee and hip conditions.
How do I improve my ankle mobility?
There are many ways to increase ankle mobility, stretching is a simple solution that will help with this and lead to increases in ankle mobility.
Soleus stretch: keeping your heel planted, try and touch your front knee to the wall.
Gastrocnemius stretch: hold your leg straight behind you and lunge forward.
Ankle Stability
Ankle stability is another important aspect of the prevention of ankle injuries. Proprioception describes the awareness of where the body is in space and is an important aspect of the stability of a joint. Ways to train ankle proprioception include training on unstable surfaces such as the surf set or bosu ball. Other functional ways to increase ankle stability include practicing tasks like landing onto unstable surfaces and maintaining adequate lower limb strength.
Our surf performance Pilates classes focus specifically on training specific movement patterns and functional strength training to match the requirements needed whilst surfing. We integrate dynamic movement patterns and proprioceptive training tasks to increase balance, core stability and help to increase surfing performance and decrease risk of injury.
To find out more about our surf performance classes, visit our website CLICK HERE you can book online or call us on (02) 6676 4000.
Tags: fitness, Mens Health, pilates, Pilates surf circuits, Sports stretches, surf injuries, surffit, Womens Health
