The ligaments and muscles that make up your ankle support and balance your entire body weight. These tissues are typically strong enough to do their job, but they could always use a little help, especially if you're carrying around extra weight, have a history of ankle injuries, or have been recently injured. Consult with your physician before beginning any workout regiment, so get in contact with your local doctors Dr. Steve Clark, Dr. Brian O'Carroll, and Dr. Byron Collier of Five Cities Foot and Ankle in Pismo Beach and Santa Maria, CA.
Some Simple Stretches
The important thing to remember is that these are just a few low impact exercises meant to help restore strength to your ankle with time. Don't overexert yourself and risk re-injury.
While sitting on the floor, outstretch your leg with your toes pointing upward, wrap a towel around the ball of your foot, and tug on both ends. Pull it towards you and hold. You can try an elastic band instead of a towel for some resistance.
Another easy stretch is to sit on a comfortable chair and paint the letters of the alphabet with your big toe.
Lastly, using a support, such as a chair, raise one leg and allow your ankle to hold your weight for a few seconds at a time.
These are only meant to be moderate stretches and should not be performed to the point of pain. More exercises, even variations on these, can be found by speaking with your podiatrist.
Foot and Ankle Specialists in Pismo Beach and Santa Maria, CA
An ankle injury can happen to anyone. All that needs to happen is for your joint to roll or twist for an injury to occur. For further prevention avoid footwear that makes your ankle unstable and consider a brace for further stability.
Most important of all is keeping in contact with your foot and ankle specialists, Dr. Clark, Dr. O'Carroll, and Dr. Collier of Five Cities Foot and Ankle in Pismo Beach and Santa Maria, CA. Dial (805) 481-9100 and (805) 481-9100 for their locations.