Warming up ankles with a band before lunges
I've trained long enough to know that ankles rarely get attention until something starts to creak. Most people roll into a session, do a few hops, and head straight into their first set of split squats. I used to do the same.
A cheap resistance band has become the first thing I grab before any lower-body session. It lives in my gym bag alongside my water bottle. Two or three minutes of banded ankle work has changed how my lunges feel, and it's now a habit I don't skip.
Here in Australia, weekend hikes around the You Yangs, coastal walks along the Mornington Peninsula, and touch footy are normal ways to move. Soft sand at Bondi, uneven trails in the Grampians, and synthetic pitches in Melbourne's winter comps all ask different things of the ankle.
Why ankle mobility matters before lunges
The lunge is a controlled fall forward, and the ankle has to absorb it smoothly. If the joint is stiff through dorsiflexion, the knee drifts inward and the heel lifts, sending load up into the lower back. Over a long set, that compounds.
Tight ankles also change how the calf works. The gastrocnemius and soleus end up doing mobility work they weren't designed for, leaving many people sore in the back of the lower leg. A short band routine wakes the joint through its full range.
For community sport, whether it's social netball in Brisbane or a winter round of AFL 9s in Geelong, ankles need to be ready for sudden changes of direction. The warm-up doesn't need to be long; it just needs to be specific.
What kind of band I use
I keep a light loop band for warm-ups and a slightly heavier one for accessory work. The warm-up band is usually a fabric-covered elastic loop, the kind sold at Rebel stores or chemists in suburban shopping centres. The cover stops it from snapping against bare skin when you're sweating.
Resistance comes in a few different tensions, and what works for one person won't suit another. The table below compares the three bands I've rotated through over the past year.
| Band type | Best use | Tension feel | Cost in AUD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light fabric loop | Warm-up ankle work | Gentle, easy to control | $8–$15 |
| Medium latex band | Warm-up + light activation | Noticeable pull | $10–$20 |
| Heavy latex band | Activation drills, foot stability | Strong, slow return | $15–$25 |
The light fabric loop is my default for ankle work. The medium band shows up during single-leg drills later in the session. The heavy band rarely touches my ankles; it stays in the drawer for calf raises and tibialis work.
The warm-up routine itself
I anchor one end of the band around a low pole, the leg of a squat rack, or a fence post at the park. I sit on the floor with my leg out in front and loop the band over the front of my foot, just below the toes.
The first movement is a dorsiflexion pull, gently driving the toes back toward the shin against the band's resistance. I hold for a second at the top and slowly let the foot return. After ten reps I switch to plantar flexion, pointing the foot away against the band. Finally, I rotate the ankle through circles in both directions.
The whole thing takes under three minutes per side. Standing up and walking through a few body-weight lunges afterwards lets the new range settle.
Fitting it into an Australian training week
Gyms here are usually busy from 5.30 to 7 pm, so I tend to train earlier or later. Running the band work at home before driving to the studio saves queue time and means I walk into my warm-up with everything switched on.
Weekends are when I move the band work outdoors. Before a coastal walk from Coogee to Bondi, or a trail run near Lysterfield, I'll sit on a park bench and run through the routine barefoot. Barefoot on grass changes the foot's feedback and tells you quickly whether the ankle is actually moving well.
I also bring the band to the footy field for pre-game prep. AusActive trainers often run warm-ups that include banded ankle work.
When I skip or swap the band
If my ankles are sore from a long hike the day before, the band stays in the bag and I replace the routine with slow reverse lunges and a long walk. Loading a cranky joint isn't worth it.
On days when I'm short on time and the session is upper-body focused, I drop the ankle work entirely. Lunges still get a quick set of bodyweight reps as a primer, but the full band routine is reserved for lower-body days. ESSA-aligned coaches give the same advice: warm up the joints you're about to load.
Habits worth keeping in mind
- Pick a band that lets you move slowly without the elastic snapping back.
- Anchor the band at a height that lets the working foot sit flat.
- Keep the band low on the foot, around the metatarsals.
- Move through the full circle. Inversion and eversion matter on uneven ground.
- Ten slow reps per direction per side is plenty.
- Sit on a mat or towel at the park. Wet grass in Hobart in winter is miserable.
- Swap the band for a foam roller if you've only got two minutes; not perfect, but it helps.
The simple band is the most reliable thing in my kit. Three minutes of pulls, circles, and pointed toes before lunges has changed how lower-body sessions feel, and it moves with me from a Melbourne studio to a coastal walk in Noosa. Keep a loop band visible, sit down before your warm-up, and let the ankles do the rest.