If you have a broken ankle, your doctor has probably told you that any kind of weight-bearing exercise that puts pressure on the ankle is off limits. Your ankle may even be immobilized in a cast. But once the cast is off and your doctor has given you the green light, the consistent practice of some therapeutic exercises will help strengthen the muscles that may have been weakened during a period of inactivity and ensure that the injury heals properly.
Ankle Flexion
This exercise will help strengthen the top of the ankle and the tibialis anterior muscle that runs along the front of the shin. Take an elastic exercise band and wrap one end around a table leg or other sturdy object. Sit down on the floor with both legs outstretched facing the table leg, but far enough away that you can wrap the other end of the elastic band around the top of your foot without leaving any slack. Gently flex your foot, pulling your toes toward your knee and then release. Repeat 20 times every day. To increase resistance as your ankle gets stronger, sit farther away from the table leg that is anchoring the resistance band.
Plantar Flexion
This exercise will help to strengthen the bottom of your ankle, as well as the lower calf. Sit on the floor or a chair with your leg outstretched. Wrap one end of an elastic band around the ball of your foot and hold the other end in your hands. Pull the band taut. Press the ball of your foot away from you, as if you are pointing your toes, and release. Repeat 20 times daily. You can increase the difficulty of the exercises by pulling the resistance band even more taut.
Calf Raises
Once you have mastered the first two exercises, you can begin to put more weight on the ball of the foot for calf raises. Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall for support. Slowly rise up on the balls of both feet at the same time. At the top, hold for 2 seconds and then release. Repeat 20 times every day. To increase the challenge of the exercise, do single-leg calf raises.
Range of Motion
This exercise will help increase flexibility and range of motion in your injured ankle. Lie on the floor on your bag with your legs outstretched. Raise the leg with your injured ankle and band the knee at 90 degrees so that your shin is parallel to the floor. Point your toes as hard as you can and then flex your foot, pulling the toes back toward you as hard as you can. Now, move the foot to each side, bending at the ankle as hard as you can. Do 10 rotations every day.
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