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Ankle Mobility Exercises for Strength and Balance

Ankle Mobility Exercises for Increased Strength and Balance

Have you ever battled tight ankles that make lunges, squats, and even walking uncomfortable? If so, you’re not alone.  Although it is one of the most overlooked aspects of fitness, balance, flexibility, and general movement efficiency depend critically on ankle mobility. Improper ankle mobility can cause compensations in your hips, knees, and lower back, increasing your risk of injury and restricting your performance. 

Hence, including ankle mobility exercises into your workout routine will help you whether you are a runner trying to avoid injuries, or just someone wanting to move pain-free. To help you develop stability, increase balance, and move more naturally, we have gathered the best ankle mobility exercises. Let’s jump right into it!

Why is Ankle Mobility Important?

Your ankles carry a great deal of responsibility in supporting your body weight, maintaining stability, and allowing smooth movement. But many people suffer with restricted ankle mobility from things like extended sitting, poor shoes, past injuries, or skipping ankle movements in their training routine. 

1. Improves General Movement and Performance

Your ankle is quite important in motions including walking, running, leaping, and squatting. Restricted range of motion from limited mobility might make movements seem more difficult and ineffective. In daily activities as well as strength training, increasing ankle mobility enables deeper squats, better lunges, and improved general performance. 

2. Reduces Injury Risk

Weak or inflexible ankles force your knees and hips to overcompensate for restricted movement, increasing your risk of sprains, strains, and other injuries. By increasing your ankle mobility, you can avoid conditions such as achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints.

3. Better Stability and Balance

Good ankle mobility is essential for balance and coordination. Whether you’re standing on one leg, changing directions quickly in sports, or simply walking on uneven surfaces, strong and stable ankles help you stay in control.

4. Helps Reduce Pain and Support Healthy Joints 

Limited ankle mobility can strain your hips, knees, and lower back, which over time causes discomfort and suffering. Increasing ankle mobility and strength helps you achieve better joint alignment and lessen needless strain on the rest of your body. But, how can one increase ankle mobility and strengthen them? Well, that’s where ankle exercises come in.

Best Ankle Mobility Exercises to Increase Balance and Strength

Before jumping into specific exercises, it’s important to understand that ankle mobility involves both strength and flexibility. You need a balance of stability, flexibility, and control to get the most out of your movements.

1. Ankle Circles

This easy motion increases flexibility and helps release your ankle joints. An excellent warm- up before any lower-body exercise as ankle circles increase blood flow to the joint and aid in enhancing its range of motion.

How to:

  1. Sit or stand with one foot raised somewhat above the ground. 
  2. Rotate your ankle clockwise for ten to fifteen seconds. 
  3. Turn around and rotate counterclockwise for another ten to fifteen seconds.
  4. Repeat on the opposite ankle. 

2. Toe Raises

This exercise works the muscles surrounding the ankle, boosting stability and endurance. The toe raises strengthen the anterior tibialis (the muscle in front of your shin), bettering ankle control, and lowering the risk of shin splints and foot fatigue.

How to:

  1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Keeping your heels on the ground, slowly raise your toes.
  3. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds then drop your toes back down.
  4. Repeat 10 to 12 times.

3. Calf Raises

Important for ankle mobility, this traditional workout tones the calf muscles and Achilles tendon. Stronger calves help avoid injuries via better shock absorption during high-impact sports like running and jumping.

How to:

  1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Rise on your toes, lifting your heels as high as you can. 
  3. Hold for 2 to 3 seconds then gently descend.
  4. Repeat 10 to 15 times. 

4. Resistance Band Dorsiflexion

Correct squat and lunge technique depends on dorsiflexion, which this exercise improves. It targets the tibialis anterior muscle, improving foot control and ankle performance.

How to:

  1. Secure a resistance band around a sturdy object. 
  2. Loop the band around the top of your foot. 
  3. Flex your foot upward, stretching the band. 
  4. Slowly return to the starting position. 
  5. Perform 10-12 reps per foot.

5. Heel Walks

By stimulating little stabilizing muscles in your feet and ankles, heel walks help improve stability and coordination. Heel walks can avoid conditions including Achilles tendonitis and shin splints by increasing ankle endurance.

How to:

  1. Walk forward on your heels for 20-30 steps. 
  2. Keep your toes lifted throughout the movement. 
  3. Perform 3 to 4 sets.

Ankle Stability Exercises to Boost Mobility 

Apart from ankle strengthening exercises, ankle stability exercises help increase flexibility and lower stiffness. Here are some of the best ones to get you started.

1. Standing Soleus Stretch

This stretch stimulates the deep calf muscles, hence helping ankle dorsiflexion. A tight soleus can limit ankle mobility, affecting squat technique and raising injury risk.

How to:

  1. Stand with one foot forward and one foot back.
  2. Keep your heels on the ground and slightly bend your back knee. 
  3. Lean forward to stretch the lower calf. 
  4. For each leg, hold for 20 to 30 seconds. 

2. Ankle Alphabet

This fun workout betters neuromuscular control and ankle range of motion. Ankle Alphabet improves ankle proprioception, which is vital for balance and injury avoidance.

How to:

  1. Sit with your foot raised off the floor. 
  2. Using your foot, write the alphabet’s letters in the air. 
  3. Resume with the other foot. 

Summing It All Up

In a nutshell, ankles are sometimes overlooked, but balance, injury prevention, and athletic performance depend critically on ankle mobility and strength. Adding ankle strengthening and mobility exercises to your workout routine will make a big impact whether your goals are weightlifting, running, or daily movement improvement. 

Improving ankle stability, flexibility, and strength can help you with squats, lunges, jumps, and general lower-body performance while reducing your chance of injury. 

Seeking professional guidance on general fitness and ankle mobility? Visit Iron Orr Fitness today.