Exercises for Foot and Ankle

The entire weight of our body falls on our ankles and feet, that help us in proper locomotion. Keeping them flexible helps in avoiding foot pain and other problems associated with ankle injury. Foot and ankle exercises help maintain the agility of these parts. The exercises are mainly directed towards the muscles and bones that help in movement.

Understanding the role of the joints in ankles and feet further makes the exercises much easier to perform. There are some exercises that aid in quick recovery from ankle sprain and feet injury. You shall come to know the healthy exercises here.

The exercises explained here, when performed regularly, help in elimination of a wide range of joint problems in those areas as well as common ailments of legs. They are useful for athletes who have to maintain consistency in motion. So check them out.

Ankle pumps are of two types, namely, ankle pump ups and ankle pump down. The former is meant for strengthening the muscles that are present in the frontal region of the lower leg. While performing ankle pump ups you have to simply raise your foot up and hold on the position for 10 seconds.

These exercises are also known as toe pick ups and are very easy to perform. It implies picking up things from the ground and shifting to some other place with your feet, helped by your toes. You can either pick up marbles, or objects that are cylindrical in shape, like a pencil. This simple technique helps in strengthening the toes and the feet overall.

Popularly known as ballet heel raise, this exercise implies lifting the ball of the toes while supporting on the big toe. Your body's weight will be centered on the big toe and you have to gradually raise the toe to maintain an equilibrium similar to ballet dancers. Keep your hands on your waist while performing this exercise.

This exercise is meant for the plantar fasciitis. Sit erect and stretch your legs completely. Now place a towel around the ball of your feet. Pull the towel towards yourself without bending your leg at your knees. The close bends of your feet helps in improving the stamina of your feet and ankles. You can perform this three or four times a day.

You can perform this either by sitting on a chair, hanging your legs or sitting straight stretching your legs. First rotate the sole of the foot inward for 5-10 seconds and then rotate it outward for the same duration. This wonderful foot exercise should be performed during bed time to relieve your legs and feet from tiredness and fatigue.

Lateral movements are of two types, lateral hopping and lateral stepping. This exercise is advised by doctors to people suffering from feet injury. Roll a thick towel and place it beside the injured feet. Now slowly step on the towel with your injured feet and stand for a few seconds while the other feet is on ground.

Now step the uninjured feet on the towel and stand for 10 seconds. You can hop in the same way if the injury is not very painful. Repeat the same movement by placing the uninjured feet on the towel first.

Hope, these exercises overcome the minor problems associated with these parts of the body. You should always perform the rotational exercise at least once everyday to relieve tension and stress from your feet.