Foot Fun for Ankles

I recently watched a presentation by Brent Anderson of Polestar Pilates on ankle function.  Ankle injuries are super common and, unfortunately, tend to reoccur.  So what do we do to improve our ankles?

The good news is that many of the exercises that help our ankles are very simple to do.  They involve our foot intrinsic muscles, which are muscles that begin and end in our feet.  These muscles make the adjustments we need to balance and react to the ground.  With my clients I use a Franklin ball, but a tennis ball will also work for the exercises that use a ball.

 

Here we go:

 

1.     Push like a gas pedal.  Place the ball under the ball of the foot.  Then, using just the ankle (not the whole leg.  The goal is not to flatten the ball, but to work the ankle), press the ball of the foot down as if accelerating in the car.  Do a set of ten.

2.     Side-to-side.  With the ball in the same position, grip it slightly with the toes and move the forefoot side to side (big toe toward the floor then little toe).  This movement should also come mostly from the ankle, not from the hip rotating in the socket.  Do ten reps.

3.     Sink into the grass.  People who have never worn high heels may not relate to this image, so imagination may be required.  This time, the ball of the foot is on the floor and the heel is on the tennis ball.  The heel presses into the ball, which is like what happens when a person wearing heels attends a summer wedding and the heel sinks into the damp grass.  Do ten reps.

4.     Arch stretch.  Place the ball under the arch of the foot.  Put some weight on it.  Go gently at first as this can be a little uncomfortable until we get used to it.  Hold as long as is comfortable.

 

Repeat all exercises with the other foot.

 

These next exercises don’t require any equipment at all!  We can do one foot at a time or both together.  At first, they may not seem possible, but with practice, we get better.

 

1.     Big toe lift.  With the foot flat on the floor, we lift just our big toes off the floor.  The ball of the foot should stay down.  Do ten.

2.     Other toes lift.  This time the big toe presses into the ground and the other four toes lift.

3.     Middle toes lift.  The big toe and the little toe both press into the ground and the middle three toes lift off the ground.

 

Don’t be discouraged if it feels impossible.  Practice helps build the motor pathways which will give eventual success.

 

Go play.