Ankle dorsiflexion

Knee-to-wall ankle rock

Easy3 minA wall

Heel glued down, drive the knee forward past the toes toward a wall. Ankle range decides how deep you can squat and how much the knee has to compensate, and it is one of the fastest ranges to win back.

The dose

10 slow rocks per side, daily

How to do it

01Stand facing a wall with one foot a few inches back from it.
02Keeping the heel pressed down, drive that knee forward toward the wall.
03Touch lightly, hold a beat, and return; the heel never lifts.
04Ten rocks per side, then step the foot back a little and test again.

Mistakes that waste your reps

Letting the heel peel up to reach the wall; distance is earned, not faked.
Letting the knee cave inward instead of tracking over the middle toes.
Bouncing rather than rocking slowly into the end range.

Where this comes from

evidence · emergingankle mobility practice

Discomfort that eases as you move is normal; pain that sharpens is a stop sign. If this area is injured or persistently painful, a clinician outranks this page.

Written by Kyle Jenkin · updated August 31, 2026 · how we grade evidence

Pairs well with

Front of the shin

Tibialis raise

Lean back against a wall, heels a foot out, and lift the toes toward the shins. The tibialis is the muscle that brakes every step you take, and this knees-over-toes staple is nearly the only exercise that trains it.

→ 2 sets of 15 to 20, slow

Easy3 minevidence · emergingATG · Ben Patrick

Calf + Achilles, full range

Slow calf raise

Toes on a step, lower the heel below the edge, rise all the way up, three slow seconds each way. Heavy, slow calf work is the backbone of every Achilles protocol for a reason: tendon loves load it can predict.

→ 2 sets of 12 per side, slower than feels right

Easy4 minevidence · strongAlfredson protocol lineage

One move is a start. A thread is better.

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