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Strong ankles are essential for giving you a stable base for sports that involve jumping, running, and quick direction changes. They are also important for improving your balance and stability, which is key for preventing falls. Training your ankles can help with pain management and ankle mobility, and it can also help prevent injuries. There are several exercises and stretches that you can do to strengthen your ankles, such as ankle dorsiflexion, the motion of bending your ankle up towards your shin, and using a resistance band to point your toes against the resistance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ankle mobility | Flexibility of the ankle joint and its surrounding muscles and tendons |
| Ankle exercises | Stretching, strengthening, and balancing |
| Benefits | Accident prevention, improved walking gait, and enhanced sports performance |
| Ankle strengthening exercises | Isometric contractions, eversion, inversion, resistance exercises with Theraband, plantar flexion, dorsiflexion |
| Proprioception | Perception or awareness of body's position and movement, enhancing the mind-muscle connection |
| Walking | Recommended by Crofton Podiatry to strengthen ankle muscles and improve stability |
| Equipment | Resistance bands, weights, stairs, chair |
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What You'll Learn
Stretching and strengthening exercises
- Stand on the edge of a stair with only the balls of your feet on the step and your heels hanging over the edge. Hold onto a stair rail for balance if needed. Rise up on your toes and then slowly lower your heels so that they come below the step. Hold this position for a moment, then rise up again and repeat.
- Sit on a mat with your legs straight out in front of you. Place a rolled-up towel under your calves for support if needed. Secure a resistance band around your left foot and hold the band with your left hand. Place your right hand on the ground for support and cross your right leg over your left leg so that your right foot presses into the resistance band.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes facing forward or slightly outward. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your back straight, and push your hips back and down until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as low as you can go). Then, from the bottom of your squat, push through your feet to jump off the ground explosively. Land with your knees slightly bent.
- Stand on one leg with the other leg extended in front of you. Lower your body into a squat and keep your balance on the standing leg. Then, return to the standing position.
- Stand on a flat surface with your feet shoulder-width apart. Have a chair or wall nearby for support if needed. Hold your arms out to your sides and stand on one foot. Try to increase the number of seconds you can balance on each leg. Once you can balance on one foot for 60 seconds, try doing other things at the same time, such as brushing your teeth or waiting in line.
- Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Lift your toes off the ground while keeping your heels down, then tap your toes back down. Repeat this process several times.
- Place a rolled towel or foam roller under your ankle. Turn your ankle slowly in circles, making 10 circles in one direction and then 10 in the other.
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and have a chair or wall nearby for support if needed. Lift your heels off the floor so that you are standing on the balls of your feet. Then, slowly lower your heels back to the floor.
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Proprioception training
Proprioception is the perception or awareness of your body's position and movement in space. It is your brain's ability to orient yourself in space. There is a feedback loop between your peripheral nervous system and your brain that helps your brain send the quick signals it needs to help you stabilize before you have consciously decided which muscles to activate.
There are several exercises that can help with proprioception training. One example is the short-foot exercise (SFE), which is a type of balance training that improves ankle proprioception and increases the strength of the intrinsics of the foot. The end goal of the SFE is to improve dynamic standing balance. Another example is the "walk-across" AMEDA, which assesses dynamic ankle proprioception during a normal gait, involving dynamic balance control.
You can also try exercises on unstable surfaces, such as a wobble board, to train your CNS to shift the weighting of sources of proprioceptive signals to improve balance. However, it is unclear whether combined exercise on both unstable and stable surfaces provides greater benefits than just active training on unstable surfaces.
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Resistance band exercises
To begin, it is important to select the appropriate resistance band. Thinner resistance bands offer less resistance and are easier to use, while thicker bands provide more resistance. The colour of the band usually signifies its resistance level.
Resisted Plantar Flexion: Loop the band under your foot and hold the ends with your hands. Keep your knees straight and toes pointed up. Moving only your ankle, point your foot forward. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and then return to a neutral position. This exercise strengthens your calf muscles and Achilles tendon.
Resisted Eversion: Loop the band under your foot and hold the ends with your hands. Keep your toes pointed up and move only your ankle, turning your foot outward and away from your other leg. Continue until you feel discomfort or cannot turn your foot outward anymore. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and then return to a neutral position. This exercise strengthens your ankle in the outward direction.
Ankle Circles: Loop the resistance band around your right foot and hold the ends with your right hand, maintaining tension in the band. Lift your left leg and balance your weight on your right leg while stretching the band. Slowly trace a circle with your right foot, working it against the band's resistance. Repeat for 10-15 reps and then switch the direction of the circle before moving to the other foot. This exercise challenges, balances, and engages the muscles around the ankle joint, improving overall stability.
Inversion and Dorsiflexion: Tie the band to a stable object and wrap the other end around the inside of your foot. Move your foot inwards and upwards against the resistance of the band. This exercise strengthens the ankle and targets the muscles involved in inversion and dorsiflexion.
Remember, it is important to listen to your body and adjust the exercises as needed. Start with thinner bands and progress to thicker bands as your ankle strength improves.
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Calf raises
To perform a basic calf raise, stand on a flat surface with your feet shoulder-width apart. You can place your hands on your hips or hold onto a wall or chair for support if needed. Then, simply lift your heels off the floor so that you are standing on the balls of your feet. Hold this position briefly before slowly lowering your heels back down. Focus on maintaining control as you lower your heels to strengthen your muscles and improve your balance.
To increase the intensity of the exercise, you can perform calf raises at a higher speed or with added weight. For example, you can use a lacrosse ball, tennis ball, or something similar to add resistance. Squeeze the ball between your heels and keep that pressure as you lift your heels off the ground. This variation can improve your muscle control and contraction during the exercise.
It is important to maintain proper form during calf raises to avoid injuries. One common mistake is inverting the ankle and supinating the foot, which can decrease ankle stability and increase the risk of ankle sprains. To avoid this, focus on keeping the weight along your first and second toes and minimising any outward shift onto the outer toes. This will help keep your ankle in a neutral position as you lift onto your toes.
By incorporating calf raises into your workout routine, you can effectively strengthen your calf muscles and improve your ankle's stability and range of motion, leading to better performance in sports and everyday activities.
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Balance exercises
Single-Leg Balance
Stand on a flat surface with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms out to your sides for balance and lift one foot off the ground. Start with doing this for 15 seconds, and increase the time as your balance improves. Try to work up to 45 seconds on each leg. You can also try this exercise with your eyes closed to further challenge your balance.
Single-Leg Lateral Jumps
Single-leg lateral jumps are a great way to improve your athleticism and balance. Start by standing on one leg and jump to the side, landing on the other leg. This exercise helps train your tendons and proprioceptive system to land in a stable and safe position.
Towel or Foam Roller Stretch
Place a rolled-up towel or foam roller under your ankle. Turn your ankle slowly in a circle, doing 10 circles in one direction and then 10 in the other. You can also vary this stretch by tracing out the letters of the alphabet with your big toe. This helps improve your range of motion.
Theraband Resistance Exercise
Use a thick elastic band called a Theraband to provide resistance for this exercise. Loop the band around a table leg and place your foot inside the band, with the band across the top of your foot. Keep your knees straight and move only your ankle, pointing your foot back toward your nose. Hold this position for 2 seconds and then slowly release. Perform each exercise 10 to 15 times in a row.
Squat Jumps
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and slowly lower down into a squat. Then, jump straight up, pushing off your toes and landing on the balls of your feet. Lower your heels back to the floor as you squat again to absorb the impact. Utilize the power from the squat to push back up into the next jump. This exercise strengthens the muscles around your ankles, as well as your glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
It is important to remember that you should not feel pain during these exercises. If you experience any discomfort or have a previous injury, consult a medical professional before continuing.
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Frequently asked questions
Strong ankles are essential for giving you a stable base for sports that involve jumping, running, and quick direction changes. They can also help with pain management and ankle mobility.
There are several exercises and stretches that you can incorporate into your daily routine. Some examples include standing on one foot, calf raises, and using a resistance band to point and flex your toes.
It is recommended to start off with a few repetitions per set and work your way up to 25 repetitions per set. You can do these exercises three to five days a week.
If any movements are causing pain, or if you think you have a previous injury, it is best to stop the exercise and consult a medical professional.
Walking helps strengthen the muscles and bones in your feet and ankles, making them more stable and flexible.
