Ankles
Heel Raise: Single Leg
A step exercise that builds ankle mobility, calf strength, and controlled push-off: great preparation for walking and running.
How to do it
- 1
Stand with your forefeet on the edge of a step
The balls of both feet on the step, heels free behind them, with a rail or wall firmly in hand.
- 2
Raise one heel while the other lowers
Press one heel up as the opposite heel travels down below the level of the step. The two ankles move in opposite directions at the same time.
- 3
Keep the hips level and the tempo slow
Do not let the pelvis swing from side to side. The work belongs to the ankles and lower legs, not the hips.
- 4
Continue alternating for 30 to 60 seconds
Slow the tempo, keep a hand on the support at all times, or reduce how far the heel drops if that suits you better.
What to watch for
The lowering heel travelling further than the ankle is happy with, since that is the loaded end of this movement. Keep the drop shallow if the front or back of the ankle or the sole of the foot objects, and hold the rail throughout.
Ways to adjust it
- Slower tempo
- Extra wall/chair support
- Reduce range
If this one is too much today
Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.
Other ways to do this movement
Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits.
Before you try it
Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.
One movement is a start. A session is the thing.
A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.
Start your first sessionFrom the clinically authored Vinys movement library.