How do you feel about Double Ankle Hangs? Do you love 'em, hate 'em, maybe tolerate them? Quite possibly you find them super painful?
While they'll likely never be fully 'comfortable' (hanging your entire body from your ankles isn't necessarily something we were 'designed' to do!) there are ways to reduce the discomfort and support your body more efficiently. First off make sure you're wearing the correct attire. Full-length leggings that cover your ankles will be best. Capri leggings and bare legs typically cause the silk to 'stick' to you which isn't ideal when trying to get your wraps in the right place.
See below for a video breakdown.
Secondly, the more flexibility you have in a pike the easier time you'll have getting in/out of the skill. When you're able to use an active pike to lower yourself down it takes the pressure off your ankles. If you're pressing weight down into your wraps when getting into your ankle hang it makes it difficult for the wraps to slide around your ankles and they often get stuck on your calves.
When getting out, the better pike you have (and core strength counts too) the easier it'll be to grab the pole above your feet.
There are many different variations of double ankle hangs in terms of wrapping pathways the way I demonstrate in the video is appropriate for lowering into it - not for drops.
From a Classic Climb, keep the tail between your feet. Scoop the tail behind your heels and circle clockwise keeping your feet side-by-side (think of a mermaid fin circling around). Once you've completed the circle place the pole between your feet. Drop your hips down into a pike and lengthen your arms. Think about drawing your straight legs toward your chest to lessen the pressure on your ankles. Once your ankle wraps are as low as they can be release your hands and lower your torso.
When hanging keep your legs active - quads and glutes tight, feet pointed (not sickled). Keeping your lower body tight will be a much more supportive way to hang than having loosie goosie legs.
To exit, make sure the tail remains on the right side (if you began from a rt. side climb). Beat and sit up to grab the pole or climb up the tail. Bend your knees forward to release the wrap and step on the tail.
So what happens if you don't have a super bendy pike? While it's still possible to get/in out of ankle hang it will likely feel more uncomfortable. If you bend your knees when getting in or if the wraps aren't as low as can be it'll cause more discomfort.
There you have it! Share your ankle hang progress! Tag @aerialphysique and #iloveap on the 'gram!