5 Ankle Strengthening Exercises: How to Build Strong Ankles

A number of conditions can cause weak ankles.

1. 1. Injury: Ankle sprains, strains, dislocations, and fractures can cause trauma to the muscles, ligaments, and bones that make up the ankle. If an injury goes untreated or heals incorrectly, the ankle is likely to become weak, which can lead to chronic ankle pain.
2. 2. Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition caused by the breakdown of the cartilage surrounding joints. It is typically caused by excessive wear and tear. Some of the symptoms of OA include pain, inflammation, and stiffness in the ankles.
3. 3. Wearing incorrect footwear: Improper footwear that is too large, small, narrow, or wide can cause problems with the foot and ankle. Wearing properly fitted footwear with ample support will make the ankle less vulnerable to injury and weakness.

Stretching, mobility exercises, and physical therapy can all help build ankle strength.

1. 1. Yoga: Static stretching in yoga—with movements such as lunges, the chair pose, and child’s pose—can help stretch out your legs and ankles while exercising them in a low-impact way.
2. 2. Stretching: Stretching can improve ankle dorsiflexion, the range of motion in which your ankle points upwards toward your shin. Stretching the calf muscles in particular can relieve tightness. Stretching the feet and ankle muscles can also be helpful, such as a wall lean stretch, where you place your foot up against the wall and press your weight against it lightly. You can also perform toe raises while sitting, which will help you exercise dorsiflexion.
3. 3. Myofascial release: You can use a foam roller to manually release tense myofascial tissues in your calves and plantar fascia. This can help improve plantar flexion, the range of motion where your ankle points down and away from the body.
4. 4. Resistance bands: You can use bands to help provide some weight-bearing tension, which will help exercise the ankle muscles. One exercise includes lunging with your knee on the ground. Wrap a resistance band around the ankle on the front foot, and use your other knee on the ground to hold the ends of the band down. Push your front knee forward.
5. 5. Balance exercises: Practicing balance exercises can help build strength throughout the lower leg, including in the calves, hamstrings, and ankle joints. Physical therapists use tools like wobble boards and BOSU balls to help patients improve their balance and build strength in muscles surrounding the ankle joint—including the Achilles tendon, soleus, and anterior tibialis.

To build ankle strength, consider practicing a few easy exercises.

1. 1. Standing calf raise: For the standing calf raise, get into the starting position by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees bent. Point your feet forward and place your hands on your hips. While maintaining your alignment, shift your weight onto the balls of your feet, squeeze your calves, and press your head toward the ceiling, allowing your heels to leave the ground. Pause at the top of the movement. Slowly lower to the starting position, allowing your heels to contact the floor. Pause briefly before beginning another repetition.
2. 2. Seated calf raise: This seated variation puts more emphasis on your soleus muscles than a standing calf raise. For a more challenging version of this exercise, try using a calf raise machine that allows you to sit and add additional weight against your knees.
3. 3. Towel stretch: Start by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Place a towel around the balls of your feet, gripping each end of the towel. Keep your knees straight and slowly pull the towel toward you to stretch the backs of your legs.
4. 4. Towel curl: While seated in a chair, spread a large towel on the floor in front of you. Place both feet on the towel. Using your toes, scrunch the towel toward you. Then, use your toes to push the towel away from you to build strength in your feet and surrounding muscles.
5. 5. Ankle alphabet: For this exercise, you will use your big toe to draw letters of the alphabet in the air. This can help improve ankle range of motion and build strength in the muscle groups surrounding the ankle. While seated, extend one leg out in front of you. Place a pillow beneath your calf and let your ankle hang freely in the air. From A to Z, use your big toe to draw the letters of the alphabet in the air. Repeat the exercise a few times per leg.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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