Despite the reality that isotonic ankle-strengthening exercises do not give you big muscles to show off, they do help you avoid one of the most frequent types of joint injury. Ankle injuries include sprains or tears in the muscles and tendons near the ankle. Isotonic exercises strengthen the muscles by moving the joints, unlike isometric exercises where the muscles contract against resistance but without joint movement.
Plantar Flexion
The ankle joint works in four directions. Plantar flexion is the ankle movement whereby you flex your foot forward. When you point your toes or rise onto the ball of your foot, you plantar flex your ankle. Use a resistance band to give your muscles something to push against to perform an isotonic strengthening exercise. Wrap a resistance band around the ball of your foot as you sit down with the leg straight on the floor. Plantar flex the foot to push against the band as you hold the ends in both hands. Walking on your toes is another isotonic exercise that uses plantar flexion.
Dorsiflexion
Dorsiflexion is when you bend your ankle to bring the top of your foot closer to your shin. A resistance band is all you need to perform an isotonic dorsiflexion exercise. Tie one end of the band to a stationary object at floor level, then secure the other end around the top of your foot. Sit on the floor with your leg straight and pointing at the object with the band taut. Begin with your ankle in plantar flexion, then pull your toes toward you. Walking on your heels is another isotonic exercise that strengthens the ankles through dorsiflexion. Alternate walking on your toes and heels to strengthen your ankles.
Eversion
Ankle eversion is the action of rotating the ankle to move the foot away from the midline of the body. To perform an isotonic ankle eversion, sit on the floor with your leg straight and wrap a band around the ball of your foot. Attach the other end to a stationery object on the floor. Your body needs to be in a position so that the object is on the big toe side of your foot and the band is taut. Once in position, push against the band to rotate the ball of your foot outward.
Inversion
Inversion is the opposite motion of eversion. With ankle inversion, you push your foot toward the midline of your body. Start with a band around the ball of your foot like in the eversion exercise, but attach the ends of the band to an object on the little toe side of your foot. Sit with your leg straight and the band in place, then push your foot inward against the band's resistance.
References
- DrCharlesBlum.com; Ankles for a Stable Foundation; Charles L. Blum, D.C.
- Brian Mac Sports Coach; Muscle Training; Brian Mackenzie; January 1997
- American Council on Exercise: Ankle Flexion
- "American Family Physician;" Management of Ankle Sprains; Michael W. Wolfe, M.D, Tim L. Uhl, Ph.D. and Leland C. McCluskey, M.D; January 2001
- PhysioAdvisor.com: Ankle Strengthening Exercises
