Ankle strengthening exercises are most commonly associated with recovering from an ankle injury, but it can be a method of prevention too.
It’s important to properly warm up before any workout to prepare your muscles for your activities and to reduce the risk of muscle soreness that can occur after a vigorous workout at the gym. You should also ensure you take steps to cool down post-workout with static stretches.
To prevent ankle injuries during a workout, you may consider adding ankle strengthening as a regular part of your routine, particularly if you have previously been injured. This is because the right stretches and exercises can lower your risk of re-injury and also prevent strains.
There are several types of stretches that can maximise your joint health, but it’s important to consult a healthcare professional or physical therapist for a personalised plan for strengthening your ankles based on your specific needs and goals.
If movements are causing pain or you think you may have a previous injury, always seek advice from a medical professional.
Signs of Weak Ankles
Ankles are a significant weight-bearing joint with all activity from squatting to running, jumping to lunging all applying pressure to the feet. Over time, this can start to take its toll.
A common sign of a weak ankle is soreness, or noticing your ankles turning or rolling to the side. You may experience balance problems or get frequent ankle sprains or injuries. Some people may notice their ankle twisting outward when walking or struggle to keep their ankles straight in heels.
Causes of Weak Ankles
There are several causes for weak ankles, with the most common explanation being injury to the muscles, ligaments, and bones in and around the ankles. We’ll take a look at each one in turn:
Previous Injury or Trauma
If an injury doesn't heal properly, or you injure the ankle more than once, it can lead to chronic instability and weakness. Trauma can include sprains and strains, fractures, or dislocation.
Less severe injuries such as sprains can usually be treated at home with rest, ice and elevating the foot, while more severe injuries such as a fracture or dislocation will require medical attention.
Chronic Ankle Instability
Chronic ankle instability is a condition that can develop after trauma to the ankle, such as a sprain or fracture. It can cause the ankle to feel loose or give way easily, which can lead to pain, swelling, and difficulty walking.
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that can affect any joint in the body, including the ankles. It causes the cartilage in the joint to break down, which can lead to pain, stiffness, and inflammation.
Improper Footwear
Wearing shoes that are not supportive enough, such as high heels or flip-flops, can weaken the muscles in the ankles over time. This is because these shoes don't provide enough support for the arch of the foot, which can cause the ankle to roll inward.
Neuromuscular Conditions
Some neuromuscular conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and peripheral neuropathy, can affect the nerves and muscles in the legs and feet. This can lead to weakness, numbness, and tingling in the ankles, which can make it difficult to walk and balance.
Diabetes
Diabetic neuropathy and poor circulation due to diabetes can create a vicious cycle for ankle health. Nerve damage weakens muscles, making the ankle more susceptible to injury.
Ankle Strengthening Exercises
Dorsiflexion
Dorsiflexion is the movement of bending your foot upwards, bringing the toes closer to your shin. It's one of the most important movements in your lower body, especially for activities like walking, running, and jumping.
How to Do It:
1. Grab a chair and a stool or bumper plate (if you're at the gym).
2. Sit comfortably with your feet hip-width apart.
3. Place the balls of your feet on the edge of the stool or bumper plate, allowing your heels to hang off freely.
4. Now, slowly lower your toes down towards the ground for 5 seconds. Feel a stretch in your calves.
5. Once your toes reach their lowest point, reverse the movement. Actively lift your toes back up towards your shins for a count of 2 seconds. Squeeze your calf muscles as you lift.
6. To increase difficulty, hold a resistance band or light kettlebell on top of your feet while performing the raises.
7. Aim for 3 sets of 15 repetitions on each leg.
Ankle Alphabet
The Ankle Alphabet Exercise helps to improve ankle mobility and flexibility and uses a very simple and memorable method.
How to Do It:
1. Find a comfortable chair or bed to sit on.
2. Extend one leg straight out in front of you.
3. Let your injured foot hang off the edge, with your toes pointed downwards. Imagine your foot is relaxed and dangling freely.
4. Now, pretend your big toe is a pencil. Using only your ankle joint, try to "draw" the letters of the alphabet in the air. Focus on moving your ankle and not your entire leg.
5. Go slowly and try to make each letter as clear as possible.
6. Repeat the alphabet a few times, or for as long as feels comfortable.
Basic Calf Raise
The classic calf raise is a simple and effective exercise that strengthens both your calves and ankles.
How to Do It:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointed forward. You can perform this exercise barefoot or with shoes, whichever feels more comfortable.
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Engage your core by pulling your belly button in slightly. Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
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Slowly rise up onto the balls of your feet, pushing through your heels. Focus on feeling the work in your calf muscles.
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Hold for a second at the top, feeling the squeeze in your calves.
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Lower your heels back down to the starting position in a controlled motion.
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Repeat for 10-15 repetitions, or until you feel a slight fatigue in your calves.
Neuromuscular Control Exercises
Neuromuscular control exercises target the communication between your nervous system and your muscles. They aim to improve how your brain signals your muscles to move, leading to better coordination, stability, and overall movement efficiency.
Single-Leg Balance Exercise
Single-leg exercises can help to improve balance and stability. This simple single-leg balance exercise adds in rotation to train the ankle to maintain a stable base.
How to Do It:
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Balance on one foot and bring the opposite knee up to hip height.
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When you’re stable, slowly start rotating the knee out towards the side of the body.
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Slowly return back to the starting position.
Single-Leg Wobble Board Balance
Exercises with unstable surfaces (bosu ball exercises, wobble board exercises) helps to enhance proprioception, your body's awareness of its position and movement in space.
These types of exercises often challenge your balance and stability on unstable surfaces, like wobble boards or bosu balls.
How to Do It:
1. Place the wobble board on a flat surface.
2. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart next to the wobble board.
3. Using one leg, carefully step onto the center of the wobble board.
4. Engage your core and keep your back straight as you focus on balancing on the wobble board with just one leg.
5. Aim to hold this position for 10-15 seconds initially. You can gradually increase the hold time as you get more comfortable.
6. Once you've completed your desired time on one leg, carefully step off the wobble board and repeat the exercise with the other leg.
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FAQs
What is 4-way Ankle Strengthening?
The 4-way ankle strengthening exercise is a routine that targets all four major movements of the ankle joint: plantarflexion (pointing your toes down), dorsiflexion (pointing your toes up), inversion (turning your foot inward), and eversion (turning your foot outward).
To achieve, sit or stand for support then loop a band around your foot or place it underneath. Point toes down (calf muscles), up (top of foot), twist in (inner ankle), and twist out (outer ankle) against resistance. Do 10-15 reps each direction in 2-3 sets to improve stability and reduce injury risk.
Does Walking Strengthen Ankles?
Walking provides some benefits for ankle health, such as helping to maintain joint mobility and provide a good standard of overall fitness, but it’s not a targeted method of ankle strengthening.
Incorporating dedicated ankle strengthening exercises into your routine will provide a more effective approach to building strong, stable ankles.
[H3] How Long Does it Take to Strengthen an Ankle?
Within 6-8 weeks of consistent exercise should encourage a noticeable improvement in ankle stability and control, but it can take up to 12 weeks of dedicated strengthening to achieve significant improvements in ankle strength, especially if recovering from an injury.
