Table of Contents
Narratives
The Most Ignored Joint in the Body
They move all day and take a beating. But you barely think about them until something goes wrong.
Your ankles. Loyal… until they're not.
Here are three exercises, and yes, you need all three. Trust me, I tried to skip one too.
1. Calf stretch
You probably did this in middle school.
Place your toes against a wall with your knee straight and lean forward, or do a lunge while pressing your heel into the ground.
This targets the main calf muscle, which crosses both the ankle and the knee. Improving this helps with movements like squatting and even touching your toes.
This one hits a different muscle.
Place one foot on a chair and drive your knee forward over your toes while keeping your heel down.
You will feel the stretch lower and deeper in the calf.
The soleus sits underneath the larger calf muscle and plays a big role in ankle movement and stability, especially when your knee is bent.
Fun fact. The soleus is one of the strongest muscles in the body for its size.
3. Pogo hops
This one is not a stretch.
Keep your knees mostly straight and perform small, quick hops using your ankles. Stay on the balls of your feet. Think quiet ninja, not chaotic kangaroo.
This helps strengthen the muscles and tendons around your ankle so they can better control movement and absorb force.
Over time, this improves stability and makes movements like running and jumping feel more efficient.
Stretch the muscles. Strengthen the joint.
Your ankles will thank you later and hopefully never betray you mid-step again.
Stay Flexy,
David
Ready to keep the momentum going?
Scroll down to check out today’s challenge and see how you do!
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Movement of the Day
Rear Delt Stretch
This stretch targets the rear delts and back of the shoulders to improve mobility and relieve tightness.
Watch the demo here.
How to Do It:
Bring one arm across your body and use the opposite hand to pull it closer to your chest. Keep the arm straight and hold the stretch for time, then switch sides.
Tips:
• Keep the pulling motion gentle
• Slightly lift the shoulder to deepen the stretch
• Feel the stretch in the back of the shoulder
Many of these exercises are in my complete flexibility plan.
Reply “Full Body” if you're interested.
Myth-Busting
MYTH: If one side is tighter, you should only stretch that side.
Skipping the "loose" side can actually throw your body further out of alignment, so you should stretch both, but give the tighter side extra time or reps.
Stretch with Me
Want the Splits?
Hamstring mobility keeps you flexible, helps prevent injuries, and supports better posture and smoother movement.
Subscribe to @WorkoutsbyDavid for more follow-along videos!
Your Voice Matters
Got questions?
Your questions help guide what we cover next inside The Stretch.
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Today’s Challenge
Wall Slide Challenge
Stand with your back against a wall, place your arms against it, thumbs up, with your pinkies lightly touching the wall.
Then slowly slide your arms upward as far as you can comfortably go, then return for 10 controlled reps.
Reply and tell me how high you made it.
Check out the last challenge here.
How did you do on the last challenge?
Thanks for Reading
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