When strength training, you think more about your hamstrings, deltoids, and your biceps more than you do your ankles, but don’t underestimate the importance of having strong ankles. Weak ankles are a liability if you run, play sports, or do any type of exercise, as they place you at greater risk of injury. Ankle weakness can also throw off your balance and increase the risk of falling. Plus, weak ankles boosts the odds of a twisting injury or having an ankle bend inward or outward and stretch or tear a ligament. Ouch! Who wants an injury that will keep you from exercising for weeks to months?
What can you do about weak ankles? Let’s look at some factors that can weaken your ankles. If you’ve had a severe ankle sprain, your ankle may be lax and more unstable even after the sprain has healed. Plus, once you’ve had an ankle sprain, you’re more at risk of developing another. Up to 40% of people who injure an ankle have chronic ankle instability, placing them at higher risk of a repetitive ankle injury. This is a problem because many people don’t get adequate treatment for a sprained ankle at the time it happens. Conditions that cause cartilage breakdown, like arthritis, also weaken the ankles and can cause instability and a greater risk of ankle sprains.
Don’t Neglect Ankle Training
Few of the strength-training exercises you do for other muscles strengthen your ankles. So, the ankles are one of the most neglected muscles from a training perspective. However, there are exercises you can do to strengthen these muscles and lower your risk of an ankle injury. Your ankles deserve it! They’re forced to bear a lot of weight when you exercise and carry out your daily activities without thinking about how much stress they are exposed to. Strong, stable ankles are especially important when you do sports activities that require pivoting your body
What You Should Know about Ankle Anatomy
Your ankles are made up of a variety of muscles and ligaments that help support yet give your ankles a suitable range-of-motion. Now, let’s look at some exercises that will help you strengthen them so you can lower your risk of injury. Here are some simple ones you can add to your strength-training routine for stronger, more stable ankles:
The Towel Stretch
- Sit down on a mat and extend your legs out in front of you.
- Place a towel beneath your feet so that it’s touching the ball of your feet.
- While holding one end of the towel in each hand, pull back on the towel until you feel the stretch in your feet.
- Hold for 15 seconds and then relax.
- Repeat 5 times.
Trace the Alphabet with Your Toes
- Sit in a sturdy chair with bare feet.
- Using the floor as your chalkboard, use the toes of one foot to write out each letter of the alphabet.
- Switch feet and repeat.
Dorsiflexion and Plantar Flexion
Dorsiflexion of your feet and ankles is moving your toes up toward your head while plantar flexion is pointing them in the opposite direction, downward. Doing this in a controlled manner helps strengthen weak ankles.
First, start with dorsiflexion. Here’s how:
- Lie down on a mat with your legs straight out in front of you.
- Move the feet and toes of both feet up toward your head.
- At the top, hold for 15 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat 10 times.
Now, let’s do plantar flexion:
- Lie down on a mat with your legs straight out in front of you.
- Move the feet and toes of both feet away from your body toward the floor.
- At the bottom, hold for 15 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat 10 times.
Heel Raises
This exercise couldn’t be easier, and it will strengthen your ankles. Here’s how to do it:
- Stand up straight with your feet about hip-distance apart.
- Lift your heels off the floor in a slow, controlled manner.
- Pause at the top for a few seconds.
- Then bring your heels back down to the floor in a controlled manner.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Do 2 more sets.
Improve Ankle Stability
Another way to lower your risk of an ankle injury is to improve how stable your ankles are. You can do this by adding a balance challenge to some of the exercises you already do. Here’s a simple one. Begin by standing on one foot as long as you can. Switch to the other foot and repeat. Once you can balance on one foot for 10 seconds, try it on an unstable surface like a BOSU ball.
Now, add a balance challenge to some of the other exercises you do. An effective one is one-leg half squats. Lift up one leg and hold it in front of your body. In this position, do a half squat. Do 8 repetitions and then switch legs and repeat.
Practice standing on one foot as long as you can when you’re not actively training too. This simple drill will improve proprioception and communication between the ankle and brain. You can do this exercise while you’re standing in line at the grocery store or washing dishes. The beauty of this exercise is you can do it almost anywhere.
The Bottom Line
Strong ankles matter, especially if you play sports. It’s harder to stay balanced when you do any kind of sports activity with weak ankles. The lack of stability also increases the risk of ankle sprains, an injury that accounts for 10 to 30% of all sports injuries. Plus, it is harder to maintain proper posture when you have weak ankles. Strong and stable ankles give you better control and the ability to move your body more effectively in every capacity. These exercises are simple, but if you’re consistent with them, they’ll help you build ankle strength, so your ankles aren’t your limiting factor. Keep at it!
References:
- com. “12 Ways to Build Ankle Strength for Top Performance”
- J Exerc Rehabil. 2018 Apr; 14(2): 301–305.
- Published online 2018 Apr 26. doi: 10.12965/jer.1836082.041.
- J Athl Train. 2002 Dec;37(4):364-375.
- Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 May;41(5):1048-62. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318192d044.
- Br J Sports Med. 2003;37(5):410-5; discussion 415.
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