subject: Exercises For The Ankle To Build Ankle Strength And Avoid Injuries [print this page] The ankle joints carry the weight of your body and thus, can be prone to injuries. It is also important to take care of your ankles and do regular exercises for the ankle to prevent injuries, as injuries involving the ankle also take more time to heal - also because they carry the weight of the body.
If you want to maintain a strong, flexible and injury-free ankle, you have to focus on exercises that can build strength on the ankle joints as well as the muscles surrounding them. It is also helpful to do stretching exercises to make it more flexible, especially if you are engaged in sports that can be strenuous to the ankles. Stretching exercises may seem too simple and easy but they are indeed important in preventing injuries.
Stretching exercises will also help you recover fast from any ankle injuries and helps you prepare your joints and muscles for more straining activities. Aside from that, it can also help you avoid the annoying numbness and cramps.
Exercises for the ankle are also simple and does not require much equipment, thus you can simply do it at home. Among the exercises you can do are the following:
The range of motion exercises for the ankle are simple and good exercises you can do everyday to improve the range of motion of your ankles. These exercises are also good rehabilitation exercises if you have an injured ankle. One simple exercise you can do is to trace the letters of the alphabet with your toes while you are sitting. This will improve the movements of your ankle in different directions. As your range of motion improves, you will also notice your 'writing' to improve from smaller letters to bigger ones.
Another simpler exercise that can help your ankle is to make circles with your foot. This exercise is good not only for your ankles but in preventing cramps as well.
The towel stretch. The towel stretch is good especially if you are rehabilitating your ankle from injury. You can so the towel stretch by sitting down, with one leg straightened out. A towel is then looped from the toes and ball of your foot and pulling the towel towards you gently to feel the stretch. Keep in mind that it should not cause pain. You can then hold this position for about 20 to 30 seconds and do it with the other foot as well.
You can also do ankle-strengthening exercises to help you build strength and flexibility needed to avoid injuries. Isometric exercises are also great for strengthening the ankle joints. Make sure though that you have warmed up before doing some strengthening exercises to avoid injuries as well.
All these exercises for the ankle may look simple and easy but always remember not to do exercises that can hurt your ankle. Keep in mind that if you feel pain, then you should stop. This tip will help you a lot in taking care of your ankle and keep you away from having ankle injuries.
