[Dexter]

hey all,
after rolling my ankle again last week I was wondering if any of the ukb members have good ankle strengthening exercises? Ideally ones that can be done at home/in the office fairly easily. I am currently trying to balance on one leg, and one leg calf raises but others would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Alex

[kelvin]

[One legged squats with the heel raised - works the knee great for descents but a great ankle strengthener. Or, failing that, try dancing in high heels... seems to work for gurlies.

[SA Chris]

A balance / wobble board is good, but be careful not to fall off it and make it worse.

[tommytwotone]

Fell over a wall when pissed a few years ago and did mine quite badly got better by doing:

Foot / ankle in ice cube-y water for 30 mins x 2 a day

Lie on back, raise effected leg w/ theraband looped round ball of foot and point toes.

Wobbleboard heel / toes and circles.

Stand on edge of step and raise self up on tip toes.

[masonwoods101]

edge of step one is good... helps prevent achilles tendonitis as well... just bought a thera band to do some ankle work with cos my ankles seem a bit weak...

[punkpunk]

Stand on one leg, on a pillow or cushion with your eyes closed....

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[Eddies]

Stand on one leg whilst you brush your teeth (If you use a manual brush!)
Alternate legs

[DubDom]

Not one to do straight after injury but when you're a bit further down the road to recovery I'm told trampoliniing is very good specifically for strengthening ankles!

[TobyD]

standing on a cushion on the floor is as good as a balance board, and single leg stands with your eyes closed, then combine cushion + eyes closed. Distracted single leg stands also a good progression as suggested above - brushing teeth, watching tv, anything really. These are all cheaper than a balance board or similar prop, and more functional exercises. Cycling is good if you cannot walk far on it yet. Ice if still swollen. Tubigrip style supports are a waste of time imho.

[andy_e]

Will these exercises help with ankle flexibility too? I've noticed that since I nearly snapped my ankle about 6 months ago I've lost a lot of flexibility compared to the other ankle.

[TobyD]

Will these exercises help with ankle flexibility too? I've noticed that since I nearly snapped my ankle about 6 months ago I've lost a lot of flexibility compared to the other ankle.

If you have lost dorsiflexion (ie top of foot towards shin) it may be gastroc (ie calf muscle) tightness. Do some stretches, and hold them 20-30 seconds. If it's a pain, see a physio: a few mobilisations sometimes do the trick with stiff ankles.

[SEDur]

All the pillow/Theraband stuff is wicked; also, try squeezing a ball (inflatable) against a wall in various directions to try and work the tendons a bit.

Slacklining... that wicked new fad that all the kids are into these days! I have found it really useful, after someone on this forum pointed it out to me.
Be super careful, start off low and easy; but slacklining is a wicked way to work the ankles and get some strength going on.
Plus, it helps with balance, proprioception etc...
Make sure there isn't too much tweaky pain, or tender tissue before you start, as you may make it worse.

As for flexibility, physiotherapy will mobilise the joint (as said earlier). Then, start doing Yoga; or at least the stretches of yoga.
You will be flexible in no time.