The annual Collingwood Elvis Festival is in full swing. Elvis impersonators are appearing everywhere and there is a lineup of dinners, shows, and competitions to entertain you. The festival may not include any 5K races, but as the king of rock-n-roll sang, “That’s Alright.” You can always use the time doing ankle exercises for runners to strengthen them and get you ready for the road again.
While you are standing in the screaming crowd, try balancing on one foot. Sure, you will get jostled by the others around you, but that just adds to the challenge—and the strengthening. Just make sure you have a friend nearby whose hand you can grab if a zealous fan gets too aggressive!
When you feel too stifled in the crowd, stand off to the side by a wall and try a bent-knee wall stretch. Place your palms against the wall, move one foot backward and bend both knees, keeping your back heel on the ground. This stretches the soleus—a deep calf muscle attached to your Achilles—and helps head off injuries to that tendon.
When everyone starts dancing to “Jailhouse Rock,” show off your fancy moves with some scissor hops (start in slight lunge position, jump and switch feet to land with the opposite one in front) or squat jumps (quarter squat, jump up, land softly). Elvis couldn’t have done it better!
When the show is over, take some large bounding steps on your toes for 50 feet, then walk normally for 50 feet. Repeat the sequence several times on the way back to your car. Everybody might stare, but it’s the Elvis festival; people are supposed to act a little crazy, right?
If weak ankles are making you risk an injury while running, do these ankle exercises for runners whenever you have a few minutes. For ankle pain, contact Chiropodist Tony Abbott, an avid runner who understands ankles and can diagnose and treat your problem. Call Abbott Foot & Ankle Clinic in Collingwood, ON, at (705) 444-9929.