Physiotherapy after an ankle injury has been proven to greatly improve the speed of recovery and optimize healing. Research shows that physiotherapy and exercise may reduce the occurrence of recurrent ankle sprains and may be effective in managing chronic ankle instability. The following are ten ankle-strengthening exercises to start after you injure your ankle. They target the supporting muscles of the ankle as well as proprioception and balance, which are critical to address during rehabilitation. If you have an ankle injury or wish to improve your ankle strength and mobility, use these exercises for weak ankles to reinforce the muscles in the area and experience enhanced stability.
(Please make sure you check with your physiotherapist before starting these exercises, and don’t do any which increase symptoms or pain!)
- Alphabet: Try writing the alphabet with your injured ankle. The movements required to ‘write’ each letter of the alphabet require you to use all ankle muscles and move your ankle in all directions – up and down, side to side, and in a circular motion. This promotes flexibility and can help improve the range of motion in your ankle. Do this multiple times a day.
- Calf Stretch: Your calf muscle runs along the backside of your lower leg. This muscle goes down and becomes the Achilles Tendon at the back of the ankle. Depending on the ankle injury and how long the joint was immobilized, this muscle can get quite tight. To stretch the calf, stand on a stair with your heel off the edge. Let gravity and your body weight allow your heel to dip below the edge of the stairs. You should feel a stretch behind your leg. Alternatively, lean against a wall with the ball of your injured leg propped up on the wall. Lean forward and feel the pull in your calf muscle. Hold this for at least 30 seconds and repeat three times.
- Dorsiflexion: Seated, pull your toes upwards, then lower your foot back to the ground. This exercise strengthens the muscles running down the front of your lower leg and can help increase your range of motion. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, use your other foot to resist your injured foot from lifting off the ground. Do this exercise 20 times.
- Forward Lunge on Chair: This exercise aims to increase flexibility in the ankle. Place your injured ankle on a chair. Your knee should be bent. Shift your body weight forward so your knee extends over your toes. You should feel the available range of motion in your ankle, then try to push a little bit further as long as there is no pain. Hold the end range for about 30 seconds. Repeat three times.
- One Leg Stance: Balancing on your injured leg will help strengthen the stabilizers of the ankle and will help increase your proprioception. This is an easy exercise; stand on your injured leg and balance there for 2 minutes twice daily. To progress this exercise, try closing your eyes, tossing a ball in the air, or standing on a pillow/uneven surface.
- Calf Raise: This exercise strengthens the muscles at the back of your leg below your knee. Stand holding onto the back of a chair. Slowly rise onto your tiptoes, and then lower back to standing. Repeat this 20 times. To progress this exercise, you can hold light weights, do it on one leg, or perform it on a stair with your heels hanging off the edge.
- Resisted Eversion: Use a sold surface as resistance. Against the resistance, try and turn your foot outwards. Hold this for 15 seconds, then relax. Repeat ten times. This exercise works on the evertor muscles of the ankle, which are the muscles involved in turning the foot outwards.
- Plantarflexion with Resistance: Put a resistance band under the ball of your injured foot. Keeping the resistance on, attempt to point your toe. Then return to neutral. Do this exercise 12 times for three sets. This exercise targets the muscles in the back of your calf and foot, including the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. These muscles play a crucial role in maintaining balance, enabling us to walk, run, jump, and perform other activities that involve the legs.
- Squats on a Wobble Board: To increase proprioception and balance, stand on a wobble board and squat down in a slow and controlled manner. Then return to standing. Repeat this ten times and do three sets. If you do not have access to a wobble board, perform the same movement on a pillow, or try on one leg.
- Bend and Reach: By bending and reaching, you’re encouraging your ankle joint to move through its full range of motion and improving your balance. Stand on your injured leg and slowly reach down to the floor while extending your other leg behind you. You should hinge forward at the hips and bend the supporting knee slightly. Then return to upright. Try this ten times on each leg. To progress this exercise, place objects on the floor around you that you need to touch or hold the position for a few seconds.
Taking control of your ankle health and strength is essential to prevent injuries and improve overall mobility. Our ankle strengthening exercises provide a reliable and efficient path for how to strengthen weak ankle ligaments. Remember to approach these exercises carefully and patiently, as rushing could lead to further damage. Progress may be gradual, but you’ll notice improvements over time with consistent effort. At Alpha Health Services, we are committed to your wellness journey. Make an appointment today and start experiencing the benefits of improved health and mobility.
