Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - Mini Band
How to Do the Mini Band Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - Foot Mobility 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 Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - Mini Band
TIBIALIS POSTERIOR & TIBIALIS ANTERIOR
OTHER MUSCLES WORKED:
- Extensor hallucis longus
STARTING POINTERS
Starting Pointers
WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY
ALL WE'RE DOING:
Turning our foot inwards, using a mini band.
This exercise is done sitting up tall on a chair, using a mini band. Your non-working foot acts as the anchor to hold the band for the working foot. The mini band is a very convenient way to exercise - you can do it almost anywhere that you have a chair. Your legs are crossed, lifting your working foot off of the floor.
This is a simple movement but it may take a little bit of time to get it right. Remember to move from your ankle, without any movement of your leg. Think of turning your foot so the entire sole of your foot is facing the opposite side of your working foot - when you are working the right foot, the sole will turn towards the left with the little toe moving down towards the floor.
Healthy and strong ankle muscles will be able to complete this movement with very smooth control - try not to make jerky movements.
HOW TO DO THE EXERCISE
LOOKS
HOW Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - 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: Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - 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.
Chair
SUGGESTED STARTING WEIGHT FOR WOMEN:
Heavy resistance
SETS & REPS:
2 sets of 15 reps
PACE:
Slow control out and in.
BODY POSITION
BODY POSITION FOR THE Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - Mini Band
Sit up tall on a chair.
BAND: Loop the mini band around the midfoot/arch of your working foot, and loop the other end around your non-working foot.
BODY: Spine in neutral - earlobes over shoulders over your hips.
LEGS: Cross your legs, placing the knee of your working leg over the knee of your non-working leg.
Non-working leg: foot on the floor, inverted - with the little toe resting on the floor and your big toe slightly lifted (this seems to get the best line of pull). The band should be taut in the starting position - adjust your legs if needed, or wrap the band around another time.
HOW TO DO
HOW TO DO Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - Mini Band
CUE: The movement will most likely feel awkward at first. Concentrate on bending your ankle to move your entire sole against the pull of the band.
Turn the bottom of your foot in so that it is facing away from your non-working leg. [Working the RIGHT foot will turn the sole to the left].
Control the movement as you turn the sole of your foot to the end of your range of motion.
Slowly control your ankle movement as you return to the starting position.
Don’t have your foot move into eversion, just come back to neutral. You want to keep your target muscles engaged, holding against some resistance, rather than fully relaxing between reps, to keep tension on your muscles - especially as they are intended to be used for endurance.
Repeat for the desired number of reps
Change the band to the other side.
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 Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - Mini Band
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 Instead of Foot
AVOID: Avoid moving your leg instead of your foot.
WHY NOT?
- Turning the sole of the foot in 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 in.
2. Avoid Band Pulling Foot Back
AVOID: Avoid letting the band pull the foot back out.
WHAT TO DO:
- Turning the sole of the foot in (concentric), and controlling the movement back to the starting position (eccentric), are equally important.
WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY
WHAT & WHY
BENEFITS OF TRAINING THE LOWER LEG MUSCLES
WHAT
The ankle and foot are incredibly mobile and also stable. They are capable of supporting all of your weight, even on one foot. They are also capable of moving into many different positions. Think about walking on a gravel road. With each step, the ankle and foot need to make subtle adjustments to their position to keep you upright and balanced. In order to do this, the foot needs to be able to tilt to each side.
For example, if you are walking on the side of a hill, your feet need to tilt so that your body is upright but your feet are flat on the ground. This side-to-side motion or tilt is referred to as inversion - turning the sole of the foot inward, towards the midline of the body (or turning the sole towards the other foot), and eversion - turning the sole of the foot outward, away from the midline of the body (or turning the sole away from the other foot).
These exercises seem quite simple, but it can be challenging to do them correctly. Turning our feet in and out is not something that we consciously do during our day - it is not like lifting a heavy object or getting up out of a chair. The subtle movements of our ankles and feet are not something that we normally think about.
Ankle inversion exercises can be done seated on the floor or in a chair with the legs out straight. It is easier to get the right form when you sit on the floor because your leg is supported by the floor. Putting a folded towel under your ankle will lift the foot so that it does not have to move against the friction of the floor.
WHY BOTHER DOING IT?
WHY
WHY DO WE EVEN CARE?
WORK THE LITTLE MUSCLES THAT HOLD UP YOUR WHOLE BODY
The feet and ankles are the foundation for standing and all upright movement. Considering the size of the feet and the ankles compared to the rest of our body, it seems amazing that they are able to support the body’s weight, especially when you stand on just one foot. There are muscles that cross the ankle joint on the front, back, and both sides of the ankle that work to move and stabilize the ankle joint, and there are also many strong ligaments and fascia to help.
IMPROVED AWARENESS & CONTROL OF OUR FEET
One great benefit of exercises for inversion and eversion of the foot is an improved awareness of the control we have over our feet. It seems that people are led to believe that the way their foot lies when they stand and walk is something that is beyond their control. They may have been told that they have flat feet or that they pronate. Although some of this is genetic, you have a great deal of control over your feet. 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.
SLOW DOWN AGE-RELATED CHANGES THAT AFFECT A VIBRANT LIFE
There are many age-related changes that occur in part because of the changes in the ankles and feet. There is a progressive decline in our ability to balance, an increased risk for falls, slower walking speed, and shorter step length. The health of the feet and ankles plays a big role in all of these. The joint mobility and muscles of the toes, foot, and ankle play a huge role in balance, the ability to recover from a trip or slip, and our walking speed and step length. With age, the muscles of the lower leg get weaker and the ankle joint gets stiffer.
The good news is that if you do the right exercises, you can slow or prevent these changes. One of the best things about adding lower leg exercises is that you develop an awareness of the muscles and how your feet, ankles, and lower leg move during simple daily activities.
EVERYDAY LIFE
EVERYDAY LIFE &
MUSCLE FUNCTION
HOW WE USE OUR lower leg 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 and prevent pronation
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 front of the shin (of the lifted leg), just a little bit towards the outside of the lower leg - about halfway between the knee and the ankle - this is the anterior tibialis. Place your other hand on the inside of the lower leg about halfway down - this is the posterior tibialis. Keeping the legs close together and very still. Turn the sole of the lifted foot so that it is facing the other lower leg. Think of turning the little toe towards the other leg and turning the foot so the big toe is higher than the little toe. You should feel both muscles contract.
SCIENCY STUFF
SCIENCY STUFF
SPIFFILICIOUS FACTS ABOUT MUSCLES & MOVES
The “ankle joint” is actually made up of many different joints, it is a very complex structure made up of many bones and ligaments. All of the muscles of the ankle and foot cross more than one joint. Slight changes in the position of the foot can change the action of the muscles.
The tibialis posterior lies along the back of the tibia and fibula and inserts onto the bones of the midfoot - the navicular, cuneiforms, cuboid, and the bases of all of the metatarsals except for the first one. The muscle adducts and inverts the foot, and can also help with plantarflexion.
The tibialis anterior originates on the lateral side of the front of the tibia and inserts onto one of the smaller bones between the ankle and the foot (medial cuneiform), and the base of the first metatarsal - the long bone that runs along the top inside of the foot. The main action of the tibialis anterior is to dorsiflex and invert the foot. It also plays a big role in supporting and moving the medial longitudinal arch of the foot.
The extensor hallucis longus’ primary action is to extend the big toe, but it can also help with dorsiflexion and inversion of the foot.
ALLLL MUSCLES & WHEN
ALL MUSCLES WORKING & WHEN DURING THE Chair Seated Ankle Inversion - 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!
