When you stretch a ligament so far that ir tears, it is known as a sprain. When you sprain your ankle, your chance of doing it again is between 40 and 70 percent, according to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but with good care, you can speed up your recovery time and reduce the chance of reinjury. Seek medical advice if you sprain your ankle, but in the meantime, follow some simple advice.
Before Exercising
Exercise isn't the first thing to consider after you sprain an ankle. In fact, the most important thing is to rest. Walking puts a lot of strain on your ankle, so use a crutch or a walking stick to support your weight. Put ice on the affected area to reduce swelling, and elevate your ankle above your heart level as often as possible. Another way to reduce swelling is to wrap an elastic bandage from your toes to your mid-calf, but a health care professional will assist you with this.
Flexibility
Engaging in exercises after the initial 48 hours makes rehabilitation much easier. Initially, you just want to get your ankle moving again, so rotate both ankles in both directions ten times. Sit down, lift both ankles off the floor, and point your toes, then counter the movement by stretching your heels out. Repeat both exercises 10 times, three or four times a day until movement in each ankle feels the same.
Calf Flexibility
To make walking easier after spraining your ankle, you must stretch your calf muscles. Lie on your back with your legs stretched in front. Wrap a scarf or exercise band around your affected foot and gently pull the foot toward you, lifting the leg from the floor. Stand 3 feet from a wall with your injured foot 3 feet in front of the other and all toes facing forward. Lean on the wall with your hands, feeling the stretch in your front calf. Repeat these routines several times a day, but stop and seek medical advice if it hurts.
Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening your muscles will protect the ligaments, promoting healing and helping to prevent reinjury. Wrap a scarf or exercise band over your affected foot and place the other end over a table leg. Keeping your heel on the floor, slowly slide your foot out to the side. Hold for 10 seconds, then slide in the other direction. Hold for 10 seconds and rest. Repeat 10 times in each direction, two or three times a day.
Balance
People with poor balance suffer two or three times more ankle injuries than those with good balance, according to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, so it stands to reason that balance exercises will help stave off further injury. Practice standing on each ankle for ten seconds at a time, initially, slowly increasing the time as your balance improves. This simple exercise routine will not guarantee you will be running around again within a few days, but it will aid your recovery and minimize the risks of it happening again.
