Movement · Ankle

Ankle dorsiflexion

Bringing the top of the foot toward the shin — or, with the foot planted, letting the shin travel forward over the foot. Tibialis anterior and the toe extensors do it against gravity; the calf and Achilles are what limit it. Good looks like: enough range for the knee to travel past the toes with the heel staying down. It is one of the highest-leverage ranges in the body: when the ankle will not give, the foot flattens, the knee falls inward, or the heel lifts — so a stiff ankle reliably shows up as a knee, hip or back complaint.