Coach Dee Monday Video Series: Self-Therapy for Your Foot, Ankle & Calf

Hey Enduro Bites athletes!

Coach Dee of the Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team here for week four of six of the “after the weekend” videos to help you recover from the sports you played over the weekend!

The last three weeks we’ve looked at a few stretches for the pelvis area in the front, back, inside of the hip and the knee.

This week we move down to the leg and I teach you a few self-therapy tips to tackle the foot, ankle and lower leg.

A few things to remember if you struggle with any foot or ankle discomfort:

1. Make sure you aren’t overtraining- ensure proper rest
2. Pay attention to them with stretching and self-care like in this series
3. The foot is designed to be mobile but act “stable” and the ankle is designed to be mostly “mobile.” When either of those are altered, dysfunction and pain can come into play.
4. Hydrate… period!
5. Do self-massage on the lower legs and feet regularly!
6. Warm up before activity or training.

Function- The design of the foot is one to absorb all forces that the foot comes in contact with as you go through foot strike. For cyclists, the foot isn’t as important as it is for runners, for example, due to the pedal platform. However, the ankle is crucial for both athletes and is the joint that can be affected by what the knee and foot are doing, so it’s important to keep the ankle moving well using these techniques.

Side note for the ladies! Sorry ladies, but high heels are terrible for you! Yes they may look good and we men may like how they look too, but structurally, they wreak havoc on your body… SOOOO, if you’d like to have less foot, ankle, knee, hip, low back, shoulder and neck pain, limit your heel wearing!

About Dee Tidwell: Dee Tidwell is the coach of choice for the Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team. He is also the owner of Enduro MBT Training, based in Denver, CO. EMT’s comprehensive cycling approach to soft tissue therapy and performance training programs fosters an environment of success, winning, and athlete longevity.

Coach Dee applies the techniques and principles he teaches to his own racing career. In 2014, Dee won the overall championship of the 40+ division in the Big Mountain Enduro Series. In 2015, he took 2nd overall and he placed 3rd in 2016! #thisstuffworks

Check out coach Dee's comprehensive training program for more info, and a downloadable 6-month fitness program that will help you step up your mountain biking, cycling and other activities this season!