Mobilize tight calves and strengthen ankles

≤30 min. Walking, hiking and running require mobility in your feet. When your feet are bound in shoes all day and are only on flat surfaces, you need to engage the calf muscles and align the feet and ankles in a way to ensure that small cracks in the sidewalk or other uneven terrain are not injurious. This practice enables you to get mobility in your feet, learn different ways to stretch your calves, stretch and lengthen the top of the foot and internally and externally rotate the legs. Using a rolled sticky mat, towel or blanket and one yoga block you will focus on the back foot wherein the back heel tends to lift quickly without grounding the heel first, thereby tightening the calf and ankle muscles. Through explorations of internal rotation, external rotation and anatomic neutral foot positioning you will engage in a way to prepare your muscles for uneven surfaces that you are faced with in activities such as walking, hiking, jogging, and running.