Many ankle and foot surgeries require the use of a walker, cane, crutches or a wheelchair, all of which place abnormal stress on your joints. To prepare for this, many doctors recommend exercises to do before surgery to help strengthen the muscles in your legs so that they are better able to cope with the increased workload they take on after surgery.
Stork Stances
If you are getting surgery on either your ankle or your foot, chances are that the muscles surrounding the injury are weak as well. You can help strengthen your injured leg, as well as your stronger leg, to help prepare it for when you will have to use crutches by simply trying to balance on one foot. With your shoes off, stand with one foot on the ground and rest the bottom of your other foot on the inside of the straight leg's calf. In the position, you will resemble a stork. Try to stand on each leg like this for a minute with your eyes closed before alternating legs. This will help strengthen the foot and leg and improve your balance.
Foot Rotations
Before surgery, try to increase the range of motion in your foot and ankle so that you can hopefully bounce back to full health quicker. Sit on a table or chair so that your foot hangs off the edge, and then flex your foot up and down as far as possible, holding it for one to two seconds each time, for about 10 repetitions. You can then move to foot circles, in which you just make a full rotation with your foot to loosen up your ankle joint. Again, make 10 full rotations, taking about one to two seconds to complete each one.
Towel Pull
When preparing for surgery on either your ankle or foot, you have to strengthen the other muscles in your leg as well, which may not be used as much if you are on crutches or in a wheelchair. Stretches in these muscles may also prevent blood clots after surgery. One way to stretch and strengthen your hamstrings is by using a towel to pull your toes backward. Sit on the floor with your feet outstretched, and use a towel to pull your toes back toward your body until you feel a stretch in your calves and hamstrings. Hold for 30 seconds at a time and then repeat.
Hip and Knee
You can focus on strengthening your hips and knees as well, which is an important step, according to University of Washington Medicine. Lie flat on your back and tighten your thigh muscles. Lift one leg at a time off the floor, keeping both knees straight to work on strengthening both joints. Alternate lifting each leg 10 times, and then rest.
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