Six exercises for healthy strong ankles

Health and wellness

Ankle injuries are very common – ranging from acute injuries, such as sprains, to overuse injuries resulting from insufficient recovery or a rapid increase in activity. By taking the time to strengthen your ankles proactively, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle and level of activity, as well as prevent injuries in other areas.

Troy Meiners, director of sports performance and therapy at HonorHealth, shares his expertise on how these six exercises can help you avoid ankle injuries: 

 

Single leg balance

Practicing this exercise a few times on each leg daily helps with balance and improves your ankle’s mobility. 

  1. Stand up (have a stable object nearby, such as a counter or a chair, in case you feel unsteady).
  2. Lift one foot off the ground.
  3. Hold for 30 seconds.
  4. Repeat with the other leg.
HonorHealth patients working out

Calf stretch – straight knee and bent knee

Performing these stretches daily provides your ankle with more stability and loosens your muscles to maintain elasticity, which prevents overuse injuries. 

 

Straight knee

  1. Stand a few feet away from a wall (use the wall, if needed, to keep your balance).
  2. Put your right foot behind you and make sure your toes face forward.
  3. Keep your heel on the ground and lean forward with your right knee straight.
  4. Hold this for 15 to 30 seconds.
  5. Repeat on the other leg.
An HonorHealth patient doing a straight knee calf stretch

 

Bent knee

  1. Stand a few feet away from a wall (use the wall, if needed, to keep your balance).
  2. Put your right foot behind you and make sure your toes face forward.
  3. Lean forward while bending the right knee and keeping your heel on the ground.
  4. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
  5. Repeat on the other leg.
HonorHealth patient doing a bent knee calf stretch

Hip exercises

There is a strong correlation between hip weakness and weak ankles, so it’s important to keep your hips strong.

 

Hip raises

  1. Lay on your back with both knees bent at 90 degrees.
  2. Lift your hips off the floor until your shoulders, hips and knees are in a straight line.
  3. Hold for six seconds.
  4. Do two sets of 10 reps.
HonorHealth patient doing hip raises

 

Side-lying hip abduction

  1. Lay on your side with your bottom leg slightly bent at the knee and your top leg straight.
  2. Draw the lower stomach in as you raise the top leg up and slightly back.
  3. Slowly lower to the starting position.
  4. Repeat three sets of 10-15 reps on each side.
An HonorHealth patient doing a side lying hip abduction

 

Clamshell

  1. Lay on your side with your knees bent.
  2. Move your knees apart while keeping your feet together (like a clam opening its shell).
  3. Do two sets of 10 reps.
An HonorHealth patient doing a clamshell stretch

Dealing with ankle issues?

If you injure your ankle, turn to HonorHealth’s expert team of sports medicine specialists. Depending on your injury, you may benefit from sports physical therapy. Our therapists have extensive experience working closely with sports and recreationally active populations. You will receive the highest quality care with a focus on getting you back to your desired level of activity or sport.

Learn more about sports physical therapy