Do you have weak ankles or often find your legs and ankles feel unstable at the end of the day? Wake up in the morning with stiff and unstable ankles?
Weak ankles occur when there is instability of the muscles and tendons in the foot. This often leads our feet to become weak and tired at the end of the day!
Sprained and rolled ankles are another indicator of a lack of strength and instability in your ankles.
How do we fix weak ankles?
Luckily most weak ankles can be strengthened over a period of time. This is done with a range of exercise, stretching and a tailored rehabilitation program.
Exercises to try at home:
- Single leg balance– without any support, stand on one leg for 30 seconds.
Start with your eyes open, and once you are confident with the exercise, try with your eyes closed. To increase difficulty place a soft cushion under the foot to balance on. Please ensure you are standing close to a wall or rail so that you can hold onto something if you feel you need to re-balance yourself.
- Toe Raises– rise up onto your toes and hold for 3-5 seconds, repeat 8-10x daily. This will strengthen the calf muscles.
- Hopping and leaping from side to side and forwards and backwards– this can help with your balance and also lower leg strength.
Other things to help weak ankles:
- Foot Mobilisation Therapy– to reset the ankle joint, increasing balance.
- Foot Orthotic devices to help with foot alignment and posture.
- Supportive footwear.
- Prolotherapy
For further information on weak ankles and a tailored assessment/strengthening treatment program, contact Well Heeled Podiatry today for an appointment!
