Knee-to-wall

Aim: This checks ankle dorsiflexion: how far the knee can travel over the toes while the heel stays down.

Steep climbs and descents both demand ankle range. Limited dorsiflexion can make steep uphill hiking less efficient and can force compensations through the knees, hips, or lower back. On descents, poor ankle mobility can also reduce control and make braking feel harsher.

How to perform it

1. 1Position yourself in a kneeling lunge position, facing a wall
2. 2Rock forward until you knee touches the wall
3. 3The test is to see how far back you can move your body until you can't rock forward anymore and still get your knee to touch the wall.

What to record

Distance from wall to toes (measured in cm)