Flamin' '8' Deep Posterior Compartment Exercise

Today, a practical post!  HERE and HERE is a video of an exercise I created (someone else probably does it, as always; but I didn't learn it off anybody) one day when I was exploring.. trying to get the deep posterior compartment of the lower leg working.  It makes use of the awesome figure 8 movement pattern that works so well in joint mobility exercises. 

This compartment contains Flexor Hallucis Longus; Tibialis Posterior and Flexor Digitorum Longus.  This hidden compartment often has a fair degree of 'sensori-motor amnesia', weakness and/or trigger points and fascial adhesions in it - hence the growing list of 'tibialus posterior' activation exercises, of varing degrees of effectiveness (and it is great to activate the tib post!).

These three muscles and their associated fascia are part of the Deep Front Line (DFL) of the Anatomy Trains myofascial meridians - and they are highly involved in healthy and strong foot, ankle, knee, hip movement. Having these muscles 'come back to life' feels really good; solid and grounded, yet lighter on ones' feet - plus it will improve the girth of the lower portion of the shin musculature (if you're into that type of thing..which I am). 

The exercise works best as a weighted joint mobility exercise on a 'light day'; as movement-play, or as part of a 'finisher' to a heavier workout.  Due to the balancing on the balls of the feet and the knee position; do not do the exercise if you have knee pain in it.  The exercise becomes suitably *intense* after about 30 seconds, but again, shouldn't be painful. 

Try it NOW (if you can safely do it)! Especially if you are in Australia in one of the colder cities.. It's called 'Flamin' 8' for a reason!