Are you one of those people who easily roll your ankles? Or maybe you’ve been feeling some tightness in the Achilles tendon (Achilles tendonitis) since you started a more intense workout. Maybe you want to get stronger ankles to protect from injury in a contact sport.
There’s no bad reason or time to strengthen and continue strengthening your ankles. By increasing strength, flexibility, and balance in the ankles, you can protect yourself from injuries. What’s a great way to improve your ankle health? Yoga!
Here are some poses you can incorporate into your stretching and strengthening routines (or just while you watch TV!):
[Please note: if this is your first time doing yoga, it’s best to find a teacher who can help you correctly practice these poses. For those who have practiced yoga, take your time with these poses and never put yourself in a position of pain to realize these poses.]
- Lotus – Sit cross-legged. The ultimate goal of lotus is to sit cross-legged, but with the ankles over the thighs, with the soles of the feet facing upward. Work your way up to that, first starting with a comfortable cross-legged position, then bringing one leg up and over, and then eventually, the other leg crossed over as well.
- Downward-facing dog – Get all your hands and knees, then push your butt up and back so that you end up on your hands and feet. Your head comes down between your straight arms, so that your arms are near your biceps. You should feel a stretch in your arms, shoulders, and down the back of your legs. Try to press down with each heel, further stretching the backs of your ankles.
- Warrior poses – Warrior 1 and 2 are both great for ankle flexibility and strength because your back foot is turned at an angle. As you lunge to get into the position, your back feet are stretching the ankles. Be sure to do each pose on each foot.
- Tree pose – This balancing act is a sure fire way to get your ankles to balance and strengthen. Try the variations as your balance improves.
- Garland pose – This low squatting position is not comfortable for everyone, but it’s one you can work toward. You might start squatting on tip toes, but work your way to having your heels touch the ground to work strength and balance.
- Hero pose – As you sit in this pose, the tops of your ankles are being stretched out. Breathe and allow them to release the tension in your soft tissues in your feet, ankles, and shins.
If you have any issues with some of these poses, or notice pain while trying any exercise, make an appointment with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll. He will assess your feet and find the appropriate treatments to get you back to being active. Call Crofton Podiatry at (410) 721-4505, which provides services to Crofton, Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD areas.