How to Stretch Your Ankles on the Rack

In the world of swimming, a lot of work goes into "reducing drag" -- which basically involves making your body more aerodynamic in the water. Swim coaches will give you lots of pointers for making your strokes more aerodynamic, but your ability to deeply point and then flex your toes is also key. To achieve a deep point, try some out-of-water exercises that strengthen and flex the ankle, including using a "rack" designed to force your ankle into a deeply pointed position.

Things You'll Need

  • Rack device
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Instructions

    • 1

      Warm up your muscles and joints by walking around for about 5 to 10 minutes. Following that, sit down and point and flex your feet five to 10 times. Then perform some ankle circles by rotating your ankles in one direction and then the other several times, thereby increasing the circulation in your ankle area.

    • 2

      Sit down on the floor with your legs out in front of your and then place the rack device in front of you. Position your body far enough away from the rack so that your knees form about a 90-degree angle.

    • 3

      Place one foot on the top of the rack so that the balls of your feet rest just over the rack's strap. The handle of the rack should be facing toward you.

    • 4

      Wrap the strap around the top of your foot and close the hook-and-eye enclosure together. The strap should feel snug but not tight.

    • 5

      Grab the handle at the bottom of the rack. Hold it firmly as you slide your enclosed foot away from your body slightly, causing your toe to point more and forcing your ankle to stretch.

    • 6

      Slide the enclosed foot forward until you feel a significant stretch in your ankle. If you feel any pain, slide your foot back toward your body.

    • 7

      Hold the position for 30 seconds and then move your leg back toward your body to release the stretch. Wait 30 seconds and then repeat the process, stretching the ankle for another 30 seconds.

    • 8

      Loosen the strap and repeat the exercise with the opposite foot.