With the New Year comes resolutions to run faster, longer and stronger, yet shortly into your New Year’s Day run, your foot, ankle and/or knee starts to ache. You’re tough and want to stick to your new years goals so you keep going, but what gives? How long is this going to last? Is this going to turn into an injury which may impact your 2015 goals?

For females, our ankles and calves get tight from wearing high heels during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Yes, just those few hours of wearing heels can have long lasting effects on the mobility of your ankle. Males who wear certain styles of dress shoes are also prone to having tight ankles which impact mobility. The limitation in mobility can alter your mechanics and lead to injury.

Here are a few ways to keep your ankles and calves mobile to help you stay on track to reach your running goals.

Lacrosse Ball Roll

Compression Band for the Calf

* a bike tube cut into a long strap and down the center can be used if you don’t have a compression band. Use for no more then 2 minutes.

Calf Stretch

Janet Yiu is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who earned her degree from University of Southern California in 2010. Janet competed in cross country at the high school, NCAA Division I college and post college level. Her treatment philosophy is to treat the whole body using the kinetic chain model instead of just the injury itself. A fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS) from the Gary Gray Institute, Orthopedic Certified Specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Dr. Yiu has worked with numerous clients of all skill and age levels including runners, triathletes, high school athletes and individual who want to enhance their fitness. Read more from Dr. Yiu at her website, 3-D Runner.