Isometrics to Increase Ankle Eversion: PAILs/RAILs

Eversion of the ankle is an important factor in ensuring we have enough dorsiflexion to squat with depth and walk up and down stairs without knee pain. So often we see people stretching their calves and achilles in an effort to increase their dorsiflexion, but eversion gets totally glossed over even though its what would allow someone to achieve the dorsiflexion they’re striving for. There aren’t a ton of ways to target this particular function of our ankle, using a slant board is probably most peoples best bet and isometrics like PAILs/RAILs (Progressive/Regressive Isometric Loading) is my go to approach for this. Passive stretch at the inner ankle with no pinching on the outside. Contract the stretched tissue by trying to pull your inner foot up, but you can’t because of the set up to facilitate the isometric. Then contracting the opposite side of the ankle, the outside, by trying to go deeper into eversion. Dorsiflexion is constantly preached to improve lower body mechanics, but a prerequisite of it is eversion yet it never gets direct attention in most training programs.