Ballet dancers attend classes religiously in part to maintain strength and flexibility. If you have sustained a dance-related injury and have taken a necessary break from training to rest and heal, you are likely to experience weakness and instability when you return to the dance studio. Your ankles -- which are a key source of stability in ballet -- will need particular attention. Once your doctor or physical therapist gives you the okay to return to your previous dance regimen, begin rebuilding strength in your ankles. Be sure to clear all ankle exercises with your health care professional, be mindful of your technique and proceed with extreme caution to prevent re-injury.
Step 1
Walk lightly in place for 5 to 10 minutes to raise your core body temperature and increase circulation to your feet and ankles. Avoid exercising your ankles when your muscles and joints are cold.
Step 2
Remove your socks and shoes to enable maximum range of motion in your ankles. Sit in a strong, stable chair with your feet resting on the floor in front of you. Raise your heels off the floor, keeping all your toes pressed equally downward. Hold the heel-raise for five seconds before lowering your heels to the floor. Complete three sets of 10 to 15 heel-raises.
Step 3
Remain sitting with your feet on the floor in front of you. Press your right heel into the floor and draw the toes of your right foot directly upward. Hold the toe-lift for five seconds before lowering your toes to the floor. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions on the right foot before repeating on the left.
Step 4
Stand facing the ballet barre with your feet in a turned-out first position. Grasp the barre lightly and engage your abdominal muscles as you bend your knees lightly into demi-plie. Straighten your knees and then slowly lift your heels upward, keeping your toes pressing into the floor. Hold the heel-raise for five seconds before lowering the heels to the floor. Repeat the sequence for a total of three sets of 10 to 15 in first position and continue in second position.
Step 5
Seat yourself on the floor, extending your legs in front of you. Place your feet together and flex your toes upward toward the ceiling. Working one foot at a time, loop a resistance band around the ball of the foot and grasp the ends of the band with both hands. Pull back on the ends of the band as you press the ball of your foot forward and your toes downward. When you achieve full point with the working foot, slowly work back through the toes and foot to return to a fully flexed position. Repeat the point and flex 10 to 15 times for a total of three sets and continue with the second foot.
Step 6
Seat yourself on the chair with your feet resting on the floor in front of you. Stretch out a towel on the floor to the right of your right foot. Pressing both heels into the floor, rotate your right foot and ankle outward and use the toes of the foot to grab the towel and draw it towards you. Relax the working foot before repeating the grabbing motion. Repeat the action of grabbing and releasing the towel 10 to 15 times. Gather up the towel, stretch it out to the left of your left foot and repeat the exercise on your left.
Tips and Warnings
- As you gain strength, increase the level of difficulty by adding ankle weights or increasing the number of repetitions.
- Before proceeding with an ankle strength-training program, proper diagnosis of the underlying cause of your injury is essential. Encourage your health care professional to thoroughly examine you to determine the underlying cause or causes of your dance injury in addition to treating the injury itself. Maintain contact with your health care professional as you work to rebuild ankle strength. Exercises should be pain-free. If you experience pain, discontinue training until you discuss the situation with your doctor or physical therapist.
Things You'll Need
- Strong, stable chair
- Ballet barre
- Resistance band
