Running with hypermobility and unstable ankles

[laura_starts_running]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to couch to 5k. I started last week and completed W2R1 today. I'm loving it! I started running to help me try and beat post natal depression. I'm so proud to have started. So far it's having a brilliant impact on my mental health and I can really feel a difference already

But I also have hypermobility and my ankle joints in particular are really loose and quite unstable. They hurt a lot while running today and I'm worried that they will be my downfall. Does anyone else run with hypermobility or weak ankles? Is there anything I can do to help strengthen them? Or would ankle supports help?

Thank you so much!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Hi.. have you got the all clear from the medical bods, that this is an okay thing for you to do?

They may be in a position to give advice, or a sports physio could be helpful with advice, too.

Our bodies, particularly, ankles, legs and knees..do protest quite a bit at first. The answer to that is, as with every run through the programme, slow and steady... very slowly! If you are good to go..then that is the way... gently and steadily...trying to land very lightly!

[hilbean Graduate]

I have no idea in terms of personal experience but you might find this article interesting

runnersworld.co.uk/essentia...

I hope you find something that you better though x

[Hidden]

Why not buy yourself a wobble board? Yep, it's a real thing.

Wobble boards are designed specifically to build up the muscles that support the ankles and lower legs while also training the brain to activate them. The latter point might sound daft, but it is actually very common for the brain to kind of forget a muscle even exists. When it does, that area becomes injury prone because the muscles aren't all used together in the right sequence and you won't even notice because as far as the brain is concerned, it's doing everything right. So a Wobble board not only builds the muscles but in training them to fire at the right time, will help prevent all the forces from going through soft tissues of the joints instead of through the muscles.

They're only cheap. This is the one I have. I used it as part of my rehab after smashing my foot to smitherines in a training accident.

physioroom.com/product/Phys...

It's not the best on the market but it does the job.

[vivh61 Graduate]

Hi! I have hypermobile joints too, so my ankles aren't particularly stable and my toes don't lock when I'm running, so they tend to rub together. I went to a sports podiatrist who gave me some exercises, which have helped, and I also go to a pilates class once a week which has also helped. If you search on the internet I'm sure you'll find some exercises for hypermobile ankles, and I'm sure a wobble board as someone else mentioned would help.