An Ankle Strengthening Exercise For A Dancer

Dance demands considerable amounts of ankle strength for balance, turns, jumps and pointe work. Most dance classes emphasize only one movement of the ankle -- pointing, or plantar flexion. For injury prevention, however, dancers must also strengthen the muscles that dorsiflex -- or flex -- the ankle as well as those responsible for inversion and eversion. Perform these four exercises in a sequence to strengthen all of the muscles of the ankle.

Resisted Plantar Flexion

Sit on the floor and grab the ends of a resistance band with your hands. Stick your right foot in the loop and straighten your leg in front of you. Adjust the tension on the band by moving your hands farther along the band so that it has no slack. Alternate pointing your ankle against the resistance of the band and flexing your ankle to relax. Perform 30 repetitions then switch feet.

Ball Dorsiflexion

Sit on a desk or table with a stability ball on the floor in front of you. Place your right foot on top of the ball. Point your ankle so that the ball rolls away from you, keeping your toes on the ball. To return to the starting position, initiate the movement by pressing your heel into the ball and feeling a sense of lengthening in the back of the calf. Repeat 15 times and then switch legs.

Resisted Inversion

Sit on the floor, your legs stretched in front of you and your ankles pointed. Wrap the middle of a resistance band around your right foot. Hold both ends of the band in your right hand, off to the right side of your body. Pull the band taut. Lean slightly to the right to gain some leverage and move your foot to the left, working against the band. Repeat 10 times with both feet. Then, work both ankles in the flexed position.

Resisted Eversion

Sit on the floor and straighten your legs in front of you. Wrap a resistance band around your right foot. Grab both ends of the band in your left hand and bring the ends under your left foot. Hold the band with both hands so that there is no slack in it. Move your right foot to the right against the tension of the band and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times with each foot pointed and 10 times with each foot flexed.