Many people have suffered from a sprained ankle in their lifetime. But did you know if you sprain your ankle once you’re prone to doing it again? I have personally sprained both of my ankles multiple times, but I didn’t know about Physical Therapy at the time of the initial injury. Now that I have that knowledge, I would love to share it with all of you!
These are 4 of my go-to ankle stability exercises you can perform at home, but you may need some equipment.
- Single leg stance – You can make this as challenging as you need to by changing out what you are standing on such as, a hard sturdy surface, carpet, or foam. Something as simple as closing your eyes and standing on one leg can also make this challenging. Make sure you have something sturdy to hold onto if you lose your balance.
- Single leg ball toss – Standing on one leg while tossing a ball up and down, at a wall, or with a partner while maintaining your balance as best you can.
- Single leg Russian Deadlift – While standing on one leg, hinge at your hips while maintaining a neutral spine. You should feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings. Then use your glutes to stand back up.
- Alternate Static Holds – Hold two different weights in each arm. In one hand, hold the lighter weight at shoulder height, and the other hold down by your hips. Stand on one leg, and you should feel the heavier weight pull you to one side but try to hold steady. You can then switch them or change the weight to make it as challenging as you need.
Here is a link to our Youtube video that shows you how to do these same exercises: https://youtu.be/5H9H-H4v-hk
Shakyra Cooper, PT, DPT, Cert DN
