Are there any stretches/exercises to strengthen my ankles?

[StaceInspire]

[Deryn61 Graduate]

I had just been reading about this on a site called runbritain.com. I have been unable to post the link but if you google "strengthen ankles for running" then you should find it. In a nutshell ,they recommend running on uneven ground and doing zig zag running too.

It ends with this paragraph:

Finally, the easiest way to help ankles is to stretch the areas around the foot and calf. Start with the simple rotation of the foot and ankle and gradually work up to dynamic stretching over the stairs or box with your body weight as resistance. Don’t think of ankle strengthening as an extra training session, it should be a routine part of your run and after a few weeks you won’t even realise you are doing it.

[StaceInspire Graduate]

Thank you! I am rotating a lot at the moment, haha. Just don't want it to get worse so that I can't run. Fell of my back step last year and sprained it. I will try and change my terrain a bit then. Maybe run through more mud because it's fun!

[buttmonki]

I had hypermobile ankles that were so bad my physio took a video of them to show to graduates. I was unable to stand on one foot for more than about 10 seconds, now I can stand until I get tired without wavering. I can even go up to my toes on one foot.

Walking lunges are probably one of the best things you can do. Also they are controlled so less risk of injury. Be careful when lunging that your front knee does not pass your front foot this can cause knee injury. If you haven't done them before then look up how to do lunges before incorporating them into your training. To increase the difficulty try doing the lunges in barefoot shoes or even completely barefoot.

Otherwise Resistance bands can also be used for ankle strengthening and calf raises can be done but with caution. It is easy to injure your calf through raises and if your calves are tight then it may be an exercise to avoid for now.

After any training ensure you calf stretch this can be done with your foot against a wall a half foam roller (that is like a half circle) can also be helpful when calf stretching. You can also foam roll your calves with a full foam roller to keep them from getting tight.

[kellyanne92]

The problem with the above advice is that running on uneven ground or in zigzags also puts you in danger of aggravating the ankle even more or giving yourself a sprained. Stretching is definitely the best thing you can do. Try standing on one leg for as long as you can, and wriggling your foot in a tilt motion from left to right, basic but effective. If things don't improve then visit a physiopherapist. I badly sprained my ankle in 2010, and it was awful until last year when I visited one. It's still not quite right but it really improved!