Strengthen Ankles to Boost Stability and Reduce Risk of Injury
Although ankle sprains and strains frequently occur while engaging in sports or exercise classes, they also can happen if you step off a curb, into a pothole, or onto uneven ground. At that point, your foot may roll in while your ankle rolls out, stressing the ligaments that normally help stabilize the outside of the ankle, explains Robert Turner, PT, OCS, a board-certified orthopedic specialist and advanced clinician at the Spine Therapy Center at the Weill Cornell-affiliated Hospital for Special Surgery.
“It’s very easy to twist your ankle, which can lead to an ankle sprain or, worse yet, a fall that causes an ankle, hip, wrist, or shoulder fracture,” Turner warns.
Ankles: Key for Strong Support
“Your ankles really are the foundation for the rest of your body. If we don’t have a proper support system, and a proper strength and strut system in that foundation, we have an area of inherent weakness. So, particularly for older adults, it’s very important to have strong ankles that are dynamic and flexible enough to accommodate a large variety of surfaces, yet stable enough to prevent collapse.”
The Importance of Footwear
Your footwear can drastically affect the stability and movement of your ankles, Turner notes. Wearing high-heeled shoes, for example, “makes your support system extremely unstable.” Not only do you risk wobbling and falling, but you also are shortening your Achilles tendons. “This can lead to tendonitis, pain, and a situation in which you are limited to heels and can no longer wear flats because your Achilles is in a prolonged, shortened position,” Turner explains.
Stiff boots or shoes can restrict ankle movement, which places stress on other parts of your body, Turner continues. “If your ankle doesn’t move properly through its full range of motion, this can cause problems in your knees and/or hips, as your body tries to compensate for the loss of mobility in your ankles.” However, if you do suffer from frequent ankle sprains, stiff boots can be worn to provide stability until your ankle strength improves.
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