Ankle and foot pain may come from tight muscles, sprained ankles or other ankle injuries due to weak foot and calf muscles. Strengthening the ankles through balance exercises, plyometric exercises and strength training exercises helps rehabilitate ankle injuries and prevent them. Foot pain, especially in the heel, may get better with stretching exercises for the calf, but these won't strengthen the ankle.
Single Leg Balance Reach
Balance exercises typically require standing on one leg, which puts stress on the ankle to make it stronger. The single leg balance reach will strengthen your ankle if you maintain correct foot alignment. It is to allow your ankle to roll and your foot to flatten or shift as you do this exercise. Instead, keep each foot flat so you can feel both sides of your heel and your little toes and your big toes flush to the floor, with your arches lifted. To perform a right single leg balance reach, stand on your right leg, with the left foot an inch from the ground next to your right. Extend your left foot straight forward, and then bring it back to center. Extend your left foot out to the left side, and then return to center. Finish by extending your left foot behind you and returning it next to the right. Repeat on the left.
Squat Jumps
Squat jumps are a plyometric exercise that targets the calves, quads and glutes. The ankles and calves get stronger as you push off the balls of your feet into the air and flex your feet to point your toes toward the floor on each jump. To do a squat jump, begin with your feet hip-width apart and your arms relaxed at your sides. Position the feet parallel to each other. Then bend the knees to prepare for the jump. Push off the ground, and swing your arms overhead to propel you upward. Point the toes. Then land softly by gently bending the knees and letting the arms drop back down to your sides. Try each time to land in the same place, and adjust your feet if you do not.
Band Eversion/Inversion
Eversion and inversion are foot movements that involve rotating the foot. Strengthening the feet with these exercises works the muscles of the lower legs known as the peroneals, tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior. Rotating your feet outwards is eversion, inwards in inversion. Wrap a resistance band around the ball of your right foot, and attach the end of the band to a sturdy object at foot height. Sit on the floor with your right leg straight, toes pointing to the ceiling, and the band wrapped around the outside of the foot. Then rotate your foot outwards, stretching the band. Repeat with the left foot. Position your body with the band toward the inside of the foot and rotate your foot inwards to do inversion. Work both feet.
References
- The Stretching Institute: Sprained Ankle Treatment and Prevention
- PodiatryNetwork.com: Heel Pain
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual"; Michael Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney Corn; 2008
- Sports Injury Clinic: Eversion
- Sports Injury Clinic: Inversion
