The risk of ankle injuries varies from sport to sport. Ankle injury make up 45% of all injuries in basketball, 31% in soccer, and 25% in volleyball. In professional, college, and high school football, ankle sprains account for 10% to 15% of all time lost to injury. Yet these injuries are often minimized.
A strong, flexible ankle is an important foundation, helping prevent injury whether you’re running back and forth on the tennis court or running to catch the bus. The good news is just a few minutes a day can help keep the sprains away.
1- Calf Raises:
- Stand feet hip-width apart.
- Slowly raise your heels until you’re on your tiptoes, then slowly lower back down to the ground. Take three slow counts to raise and lower your heels.
- Do 20 reps.
2- External Calf Rotation:
- Stand feet hip-width apart, externally rotate your thighs to turn your toes outward at about a 45-degree angle.
- Slowly raise your heels until you’re on your tiptoes, then lower back down to the ground. Take three slow counts to raise and lower your heels. This position will work your arch of your foot more too.
- Do 20 reps.
3- Internal Calf Rotation
- Stand feet hip-width apart, then by rotating at your hip joints turn your toes inward so they are almost touching.
- Slowly raise your heels until you’re on your tiptoes, then lower back down to the ground. Take three slow counts to raise and lower your heels.
- Repeat 20 times.
4- Alphabetic Motion
- Sit on a chair and cross one leg over the other on the knee (left leg). Using the big toe as a pointer of left leg trace capital letters of alphabet A to Z. Hold big toe rigid so all the motion comes from the ankle.
- Repeat with the other leg.
5- Ankle Lift
- Loop a rope around a10 lb weight.
- Sit on a counter and drop rope over the top of toes (keep wearing the shoes)
- Lift the weight with your ankle as many times possible.
6- Ankle Turn
- While sitting on a counter, take a long rope, put it under the arch of the shoes and hold the rope with both hands at knee height.
- Turn ankle as far as it can, inside. Now pull on the inside part of the rope and turn ankle to the outside, working against the resistance of the rope.
- When the foot is all the way out, pull on outside part of the rope as you bring your foot inside, again working against resistance.
- Repeat 10 times.
7- Heel Walk
- Lift both your feet so you are on your heels as you walk. Keep toes pointed forward but off the ground.
- Take 20 small steps as you walk forward, then turn around and walk back.
8- Lateral Hops
- Balance on your left foot and raise the right foot slightly off the ground.
- Hop back and forth over an imaginary line laterally for 30 seconds.
- Repeat the same motion, balancing on your right foot.
- Rest 30 seconds, and repeat the exercise three times.
9- Plantar Flexion With Resistance Band
- Sit on the floor with your right leg extended. Wrap one end of a resistance band around the ball your right foot and hold the other end in your hands. Keep toes flexed up.
- Slowly press your foot forward pointing it as you maintain the band’s resistance, then return to the starting position.
- Do 20 reps, then repeat on left side.
10- Dorsi Flexion With Resistance Band
- Get a resistance band and sit on the floor a couple of feet in front of a fixed object (like a heavy table leg). Attach one end of the resistance band to the fixed object, then loop it over your right toes.
- Start with your foot angled with toes pointing forward, then slowly pull your foot back toward your knee.
- Do 20 reps, then repeat on left side.
Just a few minutes a day can help gain ankle-strength and stability.