Despite their importance in all types of athletic activities, the ankles often get overlooked when designing workout routines. Yet ankle strength stabilizes balance, increases quickness and improves agility and lateral movement, all important aspects of athletic activity. Building ankle strength will also help prevent sprained ankles and other nagging injuries. Adding a few simple exercises to the end of your workouts will build ankle strength in no time.
Balancing
It may sound simple, but balancing on one foot is a great way to work the ankles. Stand on one foot for as long as you can, with your other leg bent behind you, and feel how often your ankle has to shift in order to maintain balance. The supporting muscles of the ankle, not to mention the tiny muscles in the foot, must work together to compensate for subtle shifts in body weight. For greater difficulty, close your eyes. Removing visual cues makes it harder to maintain balance, requiring more work for the ankle.
Balance Catch
This variation of the one-foot balance requires a ball and either a training partner or a wall off which to bounce the ball. Simply balance on one foot and then throw the ball to your training partner, who tosses it back like a game of catch. The throwing and catching movements will further test your balance, causing your ankle muscles to flex in order to compensate for the more dramatic shifts in body weight.
Heel Raises
A great exercise for the ankles and calves, heel raises should be performed next to a chair or table to help maintain balance. Simply stand up on your tip toes, lifting your heels off the ground. Slowly lower your heels and repeat. The movement can be done with two legs or one leg at a time for more difficulty. For a greater range of motion, perform the heel raises while standing on a step, with the heels lowering below the step surface at the bottom of each repetition.
Jumping Rope
There's nothing childish about jumping rope. Not only is it a great cardio workout, jumping rope builds strong ankles and legs, with the ankle muscles needed to lift off the ground on each pass and to stabilize the body on landing. Regular jump rope routines will strengthen the ankle muscles and ligaments.
Scissor Hops
Scissor hops use quick, explosive movement to work the ankles. Stand in a lunge position with one leg in front of the other. Now jump and switch leg position in midair, closing your legs like scissors and landing with the opposite foot forward. Performing this movement requires ankle strength to launch off the ground. The ankle muscles must also fire to support body weight when landing.
