Have you ever sprained an ankle? You’re in good company! Research shows that around 20% of all sports-related injuries are ankle sprains. The incidence of ankles sprains is also on the rise.
Not only is an ankle sprain painful and inconvenient, but it also increases your risk of spraining the same ankle again. Once you’ve stretched the ligaments that support your ankle, you’re at a higher risk of reinjuring it. Once you’ve stretched the ligaments, the ankle joint is less stable. Plus, after an ankle sprain, scar tissue can build up and weaken healthy ligament tissue, making it more likely to stretch and sustain damage.
What causes an ankle to sprain? It usually happens when the foot turns inward and the ankle turns outward, causing the ligaments to stretch. A common scenario is the foot is planted on the ground and you suddenly shift your weight. This can happen when playing certain sports, like football.
Who’s Most Likely to Sprain Their Ankle?
Certain factors increase the risk of ankle sprains. Females are at higher risk of spraining an ankle than males, based on some studies, although the evidence is conflicting. Not all research shows that females are a greater risk. Being overweight or obese also increases the risk since carrying more weight places a greater load on the joint when you run or jump. Pushing too hard during a workout so that fatigue sets in also increases the odds. As always, it’s important to warm up before working out to increase the temperature of your muscles, tendons, and joints, so they’re more flexible and to cool down afterward.
You can do everything right, warm-up, and not push yourself past fatigue and still experience an ankle sprain. However, research shows one way to prevent ankle sprains is to do exercises that improve balance. How do we know this? A study carried out by researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that high school soccer and basketball players who took part in structured balance training sustained fewer ankle sprains.
In addition, an analysis of multiple studies found that balance training reduced the risk of lateral ankle sprain by 20 to 60%. For this reason, more emphasis on balance training is beneficial for all types of athletes and it’s even more important if you have a past history of an ankle sprain.
Balance Exercises to Lower the Risk of Ankle Sprains
Unfortunately, most people don’t include balance exercises as part of their training, but it’s an important component for balanced physical fitness. In fact, experts believe people should engage in four types of training – strength, aerobic, balance, and flexibility. Therefore, balance training is one of the “big four.” What are some ways to improve your balance and lower your risk of ankle sprains?
How to Improve Your Balance Skills for Fewer Ankle Sprains
There’s a natural progression for balance training. The best way to start is to practice standing on one leg as long as you can. Then, switch legs. Being able to stabilize your weight on a single leg while standing is a prerequisite for more challenging balance exercises. Before trying more advanced balance exercises, you should be able to balance on one leg in a static position for 30 seconds.
The next step in the progression is to make the exercise more dynamic. Balance on one leg but rather than holding the leg up in a static manner, swing the leg out in front of you while bearing weight on the opposite leg. Then, switch legs and repeat. You’ll probably discover that it’s easier to balance on one leg than the other. If that’s the case, work harder on the side you have more trouble balancing on.
Once you’re comfortable swinging your leg in front of you while balancing on the opposite leg, it’s time to progress to single-leg squats. Here’s how to do one. As you balance on one leg, descend into a squat. When you first start, keep the squat shallow as it’s a difficult move. As you progress, try to go lower into the squat while staying balanced. If it’s easier to do on one side than the other, work on the side where you’re weakest.
You can take these exercises a step further by trying to do each one with your eyes closed. When you close your eyes, you can no longer rely on visual input and must depend only on interaction between your inner ears, muscles, joints, and brain to stay upright. Get ready! Closing your eyes increases the challenge. Start slowly by balancing on one leg with your eyes closed and work toward doing single-leg squats with eyes shut. Single leg squats with your eyes closed are quite challenging and something you should work up to over time.
You can add balance challenges to your workouts in other ways. Doing exercises on an unstable surface, like the domed surface of a Bosu ball, is one approach. Try upper and lower body exercises while standing on the domed surface. Do squats while standing on the domed surface or place one foot on the dome and one on the floor when you do lunges. The same applies to exercises, like biceps curls and overhead presses. Standing on a dome creates an unstable surface that forces you to balance. Physical therapists also have clients use a wobble board to improve balance skills.
The Bottom Line
Ankle sprains are no fun and including balance exercises in your training may lower your risk of developing one. Now you know some easy ways to introduce balance training into your workouts. You can include these exercises at the end of your training sessions to improve your balance skills and help your ankles stay healthy and injury-free. But take other precautions too to keep your ankles healthy. Use proper biomechanics when you run and do other exercises. Make sure you’re wearing supportive footwear and work on strengthening and improving ankle flexibility. It all matters.
References:
- Beynnon B, Murphy D, and Alosa D. Predictive factors for lateral ankle sprains: a literature review. J Athl Train. 2002 Oct-Dec; 37(4): 376–380.
- org. “Balance Training Program Reduces Ankle Sprains”
- Harvard Publishing. “The Benefits of Balance Training”
- J Bone Joint Surg Am 2010;92(13):2279-2284.
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Can a BOSU Improve Your Workouts?
Why It’s Important to Improve Your Balance and How to Do It
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