Floor-Seated Ankle Eversion
How to Do the Floor-Seated Ankle Eversion - Mini Band Ankle Strength & Stability Exercise | In-Depth Guide [VISUAL LEARNERS] Beginner
Proper Form & Common Mistakes | Home Resistance Training
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE?
QUICK DEMO
QUICK DEMO
MUSCLES THIS WORKS
MUSCLES
MAIN MUSCLES WORKED IN the Floor-Seated Ankle Eversion - Mini Band
PERONEUS/FIBULARIS LONGUS AND BREVIS
OTHER MUSCLES WORKED:
- Extensor digitorum longus
- Peroneus tertius
STARTING POINTERS
Starting Pointers
WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY
ALL WE'RE DOING:
This is a tiny movement - just turning our foot outward.
This is a great ankle exercise with a resistance band for improving both your ankle strength, stability and mobility. This version of the ankle eversion movement is done with a mini band. I'd tell you this movement can help get rid of your cankles aka ankle fat, and do it fast, BUT the reality is, only weight loss will actually do that (sorry to bum you out!) However, having healthier stable ankles will make walking and hiking and lower body movements like squats & lunges feel a lot more comfortable which means you can pursue weight loss more readily through those activities!
The non-working foot acts as the anchor to hold the band for the working foot. Our range of motion into eversion is pretty small, only about 20 degrees, so this will be a small movement. Make sure that you are turning the ankle so the entire sole of the foot, from the heel to the toes, is facing away from the opposite leg.
This exercise is done sitting on the floor, with both legs straight out in front of you. If this position is not comfortable for you, put your back against the wall, bend the “non-working” leg, and/or sit on a folded blanket. You can also do the exercise sitting in a chair, but it is a little more difficult to isolate the movement to the foot and to move the foot against the friction of the heel on the floor.
HOW TO DO THE EXERCISE
LOOKS
HOW Floor-Seated Ankle Eversions - Mini Band SHAPE OUR BODY
Tones and shapes the lower legs and ankles. Helps maintain a nice arch in the foot (prevents flat feet).
PROPER FORM
PROPER FORM: Floor-Seated Ankle Eversions - Mini Band
EQUIPMENT, SETS & REPS
EQUIPMENT
Mini Band
The standard mini-bands are about a 12" loop- which is actually too big for a lot of exercises to be effective (I mean, they'll do, but if you can....)
These are better & you'll be less annoyed:
10" loop mini-bands
9" loop mini-bands
9" loop mini-bands
If you buy 1 set, get the 9" size. I honestly recommend getting both. They're affordable & give you a lot of versatility to find the right stretch & resistance for a variety of exercises.
If these aren't currently for sale, you will need to search specifically for 9-inch or 10-inch mini bands. If you just search mini bands all you'll ever see are the 12" ones.
Optional: Folded towel, or small pillow.
SUGGESTED STARTING WEIGHT FOR WOMEN:
Moderate resistance
SETS & REPS:
2 sets of 15 reps
PACE:
Slow control out and in.
BODY POSITION
BODY POSITION FOR THE Floor-Seated Ankle Eversion - Mini Band
Seated on the floor.
BAND: Loop the miniband twice around your midfoot/arch to hold it in place; the other end looped around the midfoot of your non-working foot.
LEGS: Both legs should be straight out to the front about hip-width apart. Knees facing up to the ceiling. Place a folded towel under the calf/ankle of your working leg - the goal is to lift your heel off the floor about one inch so that the friction between the floor and your heel will not interfere with your movement.
BODY POSITION: Spine in neutral - earlobes over shoulders over hips. If you have trouble keeping your spine in neutral, place your back against a wall or sit on a folded blanket.
HANDS: Any comfortable position. It can be helpful to have them on your working leg to monitor for movement.
HOW TO DO
HOW TO DO Floor-Seated Ankle Eversions - Mini Band
CUE: The movement will most likely feel awkward at first. Concentrate on bending your ankle to move your entire sole - heel and toes, to face out.
Turn the bottom of your foot out so that it is facing away from your non-working foot.
Like a toddler turning her head away from the mashed broccoli you just offered her, & she has a bit of a stiff neck.
Pause briefly at the end of your range of motion.
Control the pullback as your foot returns to the starting position.
Don’t have your foot move into inversion, just come back to neutral before starting the next rep.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.
HOW TO SAFELY GET OUT OF THE EXERCISE
Remove the band from your foot and stand up.
COMMON MISTAKES
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT TO AVOID WITH THE Mini Band Floor-Seated Ankle Eversion
KEY TIP:
Guess what? Good news! Many avoids are the same for most movements. Once you learn the basics, there's really only a few extra avoids for each individual movement.
1. Avoid Moving Leg
AVOID: Moving your leg instead of your foot.
WHY NOT?
- This is the most common mistake.
- Turning the sole of the foot out is not a movement that we are used to doing, and the movement is not very big.
- It is very easy to move the leg in and out instead of the foot.
WHAT TO DO:
- Make sure to keep the knee cap pointed up and to hold the leg very still.
- Focus on the very controlled movement of turning the sole out.
2. Avoid Band Pulling Foot Back
AVOID: Letting the band pull the foot back out
WHAT TO DO:
- Turning the sole of the foot out (concentric), and controlling the movement back to the starting position (eccentric), are equally important.
3. Avoid Band Dorsiflexion of foot
AVOID: Pulling your toes up (dorsiflexing).
WHY NOT?
- This will change the muscles being used. The exercise will be more effective at strengthening all of the target muscles if the ankle is in a neutral position. When the movements are combined - eversion and dorsiflexion or plantar flexion, other muscles will be active. The goal is to try to isolate the muscle activity to the target muscles and joint movement.
WHAT TO DO:
- If you find that you are moving the ankle up try:
- Concentrating on turning the heel of the foot out (the entire sole of the foot should be turning together away from the midline.
- Placing a higher towel roll under the ankle to make sure the heel is cleared from the floor.
- If you’re going to err, err on the side of a tad bit of plantar (pointed) flexion of the foot, rather than dorsiflexion because these muscles also contribute to plantar flexion.
4. Avoid Band Pointing Toes Plantar Flexion
AVOID: Pointing toes down (plantar flexion) by bending at the ankle to lift the forefoot.
WHAT TO DO:
- The ankle should not be bent up or pointed down - the sole of the foot should be parallel to the wall in front of you (when seated on the floor).
WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY
WHAT & WHY
BENEFITS OF TRAINING THE PERONEUS/FIBULARIS LONGUS AND BREVIS
WHAT
ANKLE JOINTS HAVE MUSCLES AROUND THEM TOO
This movement works muscles on the outside of our lower leg that is responsible for one of the 4 ways in which our ankle/foot can move.
Eversion is when we turn the sole of our foot outward.
The ankle and foot are pretty amazing. They need to be able to support all of your weight, keep you upright and balanced, and move you from place to place. The arch of the foot needs to be able to keep the lower leg aligned and also needs to move to maintain balance and absorb shock as the foot hits the ground. The ankle moves four main ways - pointing the toes down (plantar flexion), bending the ankles to lift the front of the foot (dorsiflexion), turning the sole of the foot in (inversion), and turning the sole of the foot out (eversion).
When you walk, the foot that swings forward lands on the heel with the weight towards the outside of the foot. As you continue to transfer your weight to this foot, the weight shifts towards the inside of the foot. This motion is eversion - the muscles work to lift the outside of the foot up to transfer the weight toward the inside of the foot. This is a small movement but it helps to absorb the forces as all of the body weight is supported by one foot.
The muscles on the outside of the lower leg act to turn the sole of the foot out. The exercises targeting these muscles are straightforward. Simply turning the bottom of the foot out away from the other leg. Although they sound easy, it is an odd movement to try to isolate, and the movement is very small, making it challenging for some people to get in the beginning.
Ankle eversion exercises can be done seated on the floor or in a chair with the legs out straight. Sitting on the floor with a folded towel under your ankle lifts the heel from the floor so that the muscles do not have to work against the friction of the floor. If this position is not comfortable, try to position yourself with your back up against a wall, or sit on a folded blanket.
WHY BOTHER DOING IT?
WHY
WHY DO WE EVEN CARE?
HELP WITH COMMON DISCOMFORT
The feet can be a source of a lot of discomforts. People suffer from painful bunions, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and chronic ankle sprains. With age, there is an increase in foot problems including stiffness in the toes and ankles, poor balance, slower walking speed, smaller step length, and an increased risk for falls. Many of these problems have been associated with a loss of lower leg muscle strength and ankle and foot joint muscle stiffness. These are all good reasons to include exercises for your feet in your exercise program.
BETTER WALKING ON UNEVEN GROUND
The ankle evertors play an important role in stabilizing the ankle during walking on uneven ground. Especially across the side of a slope. When the evertors are well-trained and strong you may find that you feel much more stable and secure on uneven surfaces. The evertors help to prevent the classic ankle sprains - where the foot rolls in and stretches or tears the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. After working your evertors you may notice improved balance and feeling of ankle stability.
TRAIN SOME OF THE HARDEST-WORKING LITTLE MUSCLES IN THE BODY
The joints and muscles of the feet are no different than those in the other parts of the body. In fact, they may work harder than other parts of the body throughout the day. The muscles and joints of the feet and ankles are involved in all upright activity. They are responsible for keeping us balanced and allowing us to move from one place to the other. Every time the foot hits the ground, the muscles of the feet and ankles need to be positioned and move correctly to absorb the shock and transfer the forces up the leg. Since they are the first thing to hit the ground, they play a critical role in how the entire leg and spine are aligned. Pronated feet (when the arch drops down to the floor in standing) put excessive strain on the ankles, toes, knees, hips, and even the spine. This can lead to wear and tear on the ligaments, tendons, and joints.
IMPROVES AWARENESS OF THESE MUSCLES FOR IMPROVED CONTROL OVER HEALTHY MOVEMENT
All the muscles that cross the ankle joint need to work together in coordination as soon as we stand up. It is important to include exercises that target the muscles on the front, back, and inside and outside of the lower leg. Improving your awareness of the muscles of the lower leg and how you can control the movement of the ankle and foot helps to prevent pain that can interfere with simple activities like standing and walking.
EVERYDAY LIFE
EVERYDAY LIFE &
MUSCLE FUNCTION
HOW WE USE OUR ankle MUSCLES IN EVERYDAY LIFE
1. CONTROLS THE POSITION OF THE FOOT TO KEEP US UPRIGHT
- Walking, especially on uneven surfaces
- Standing on an unstable surface- helps to maintain the medial arch of the foot
2. WORKS WITH THE OTHER MUSCLES OF THE LOWER LEG FOR BALANCE AND ANKLE JOINT STABILITY
- Standing
- All upright activity
3. HELPS TO SUPPORT AND MOVE THE ARCH OF THE FOOT
- Absorbs shock during walking and running
- Healthy positioning and moving of the foot and ankle to protect the toes, foot, ankle, knee, hip, and low back from uneven stresses that result in degenerative changes or injury
HOW TO FEEL WHAT MUSCLE IS WORKING
How to Feel What Muscle is Working
When sitting, lift the leg off the floor a few inches. Keep the lifted foot close to the lower leg that is still on the floor. Bend forward and place one hand on the outside of the lower leg (of the lifted leg), a few inches beneath the knee, this is the peroneus longus muscle, the other peronei are deep and not easy to feel. Turn the sole of the foot out, facing away from the other leg. You should feel the muscle contract under your hand.
SCIENCY STUFF
SCIENCY STUFF
SPIFFILICIOUS FACTS ABOUT MUSCLES & MOVES
The peroneal muscles (longus, brevis, and tertius) lie on the outside of the lower leg. Their main job is ankle eversion which pulls the foot into a pronated position. This happens with a normal gait, the weight transfers from the outside of the foot to the inside of the foot. Interestingly, the peronei also help to support the medial arch of the foot. This seems contradictory, but the tendon of the muscles runs under the arch of the foot and is attached to the base of the first metatarsal. Metatarsals are the long bones of the foot that run from the small ankle bones to each toe. There are five metatarsals in each foot.
The feet are made up of 28 bones that form 25 joints, controlled and supported by 29 muscles (roughly - the count can be different depending on the source). These joints and muscles are no different than the joints and muscles in the other parts of the body. You can learn how to move them and strengthen the muscles to keep your feet healthy and strong. The muscles that move the sole of the foot in (inversion) and out (eversion) are very important for keeping a nice arch in your foot while standing, and for the movement of the arch for shock absorption to protect the body from high impact.
ALLLL MUSCLES & WHEN
ALL MUSCLES WORKING & WHEN DURING THE Floor-Seated Ankle Eversion - Mini Band
The peroneus longus, brevis, tertius, and extensor digitorum longus contract concentrically to evert the foot. The same muscles work eccentrically to control the return to neutral against the pull of the band.
PIN IT FOR LATER!
