Some of the best exercises to strengthen ankles include ankle circles, calf raises, and the single-leg balance. Strong ankles are essential for mobility, balance, and injury prevention.
Ankle injuries and weakness are a common issue that often results from instability, sedentary lifestyle, or injuries. The right ankle exercises can improve stability, boost performance, and aid in injury prevention.
Whether you are looking to boost performance, prevent injury, or rehab a sprained ankle, I’ve put together these tips to help.
Key Summary:
1. Ankle Circles
2. Alphabet Tracing with Toes
3. Towel Scrunches
4. Calf Raises
5. Seated Resistance Band Plantar Flexion
6. Seated Resistance Band Dorsiflexion
7. Ankle Eversion with Resistance Band
8. Ankle Inversion with Resistance Band
9. Single-Leg Balance
10. Bosu Ball or Balance Board Exercises
11. Heel-to-Toe Walk (Tandem Walking)
12. Hopping Drills
Benefits of Strengthening Your Ankles
Benefits of strong ankles include:
- Injury Prevention: Strong ankles are less prone to injuries, such as ankle sprains. Strong ankles can also reduce the risk of injury from rolling the joint due to slips, trips, or falls.
- Improved Athletic Performance: Strong ankles are vital for activities that require stability and power, such as jumping and running.
- Improved Balance and Stability: Strong ankle muscles enhance the body’s ability to be aware of its position. This is known as proprioception and it is beneficial for walking, jumping, running, and daily activities.
- Improved Mobility and Flexibility: Exercises that improve ankle joint mobility help reduce stiffness and pain and support flexibility and joint health.
- Faster Recovery: Stronger ankles will respond faster to rehabilitation after an injury.
12 Best Ankle Strengthening Exercises
These 12 ankle rehab exercises are designed to improve mobility, reduce stiffness, strengthen the ankle joint and surrounding muscles, improve balance, and reduce the risk of re-injury.
Range of Motion and Mobility Exercises
If you’re at the beginning of your ankle rehab journey, mobility exercises can be a good place to start. These range of motion exercises are beginner-friendly and excellent for stiffness relief.
1. Ankle Circles
Ankle circles are a beginner-friendly way to improve joint mobility and flexibility. If you’re dealing with ankle stiffness, I’ve had many clients report relief with ankle circles. Remember to go slow and stop if anything feels painful or forced.
How to do ankle circles:
- While seated comfortably, raise one leg off of the ground several inches
- Move your ankle in a slow, controlled circular motion
- Aim to create a large circle with your ankle without moving your thigh or knee
- Start by completing 10 to 15 circles with each ankle
2. Alphabet Tracing with Toes
This ankle exercise encourages the ankle to move in all directions, promoting mobility and flexibility.
How to do alphabet tracing with toes:
- Sit on the ground with legs extended in front of you
- Put a rolled up towel under your right calf
- Use your ankle to trace letters of the alphabet in the air
- Focus on using just your ankle, not your thigh or knee
- Repeat on the left leg
3. Towel Scrunches
Towel scrunches strengthen the small stabilizing muscles in the foot and ankle. Targeting these stabiliser muscles is an excellent way to prevent injury and improve stability.
How to do towel scrunches:
- Sit in a chair and spread out a towel on the floor in front of your foot (this requires a hard, smooth floor surface, not carpet)
- Reach out with your toes and scrunch the towel toward you
- Use your toes to push the towel back to the starting position
- Repeat 8 to 12 times before switching to the other foot
Resistance and Strength Training
Resistance and strength training ankle exercises are ideal for improving ankle stability and building muscle endurance.
4. Calf Raises
Calf raises are a classic exercise that strengthens calves and the supporting muscles of the ankle.
How to do calf raises:
- Rise up onto your toes, feeling the activation in your calf muscles
- Slowly return to the starting position in a controlled motion
- Repeat 10 times for a total of 3 sets
5. Seated Resistance Band Plantar Flexion
The seated resistance band plantar flexion exercise strengthens the soleus muscle. The soleus muscle is located in the calf and is vital to maintaining balance and posture.
How to do seated resistance band plantar flexion:
- Sit with your legs extended in front of you
- Place a resistance band around the sole of your affected foot
- Hold a each end of the band with a hand in front of you
- Keep your leg still and your knee facing up toward the ceiling
- Flex your foot to point down against the resistance of the band
- Slowly let your foot back up to return to the starting position
- Repeat a total of 10 times before completing on your unaffected foot
6. Seated Resistance Band Dorsiflexion
The seated resistance band dorsiflexion exercise targets the anterior ankle muscles. This group of muscles is crucial for motions that require turning the foot inward.
How to do seated resistance band dorsiflexion:
- Sit in a chair or on the ground with legs extended in front of you
- Wrap the middle of a resistance band around the foot you are starting with
- Place the ends of the band under the opposite foot to keep it in place
- Grasp the ends of the band at the opposite knee
- Lift your foot upward, pushing against resistance of the band
- Hold for a few seconds before slowly returning your foot to the starting position
- Repeat 10 times to complete a set, aiming for 2 to 3 sets total
- Make sure to repeat on the other foot
7. Ankle Eversion with Resistance Band
Ankle eversion completed with a resistance band is an excellent way to strengthen the outer ankle stabilisers, known as the everters. The everters are responsible for turning the sole of the foot outward and maintaining balance and stability.
How to do ankle eversion with a resistance band:
- Sit on a comfortable surface with legs extended in front of you
- Tie a resistance band to form a loop
- Loop the band around the midway down each foot
- Move your affected foot outward (evert), away from the body’s midline
- Slowly return to the starting position
- Aim to repeat a total of 10 times on each side before completing on the other foot
8. Ankle Inversion with Resistance Band
This ankle inversion exercise uses a resistance band for added difficulty and muscle building. Regularly performing ankle inversion exercise can support inner ankle stability and improve mobility.
How to do ankle inversions with resistance band:
- Sit on the ground with one leg extended and the other crossed over
- Loop a resistance band around the extended foot and hold an end of the band with each hand
- Turn the foot inward against the band’s resistance
- Slowly return to the starting position
- Repeat 10 times to complete 1 set, aiming for 2 to 3 sets total
- Be sure to complete this move on both sides
Balance and Proprioception Drills
The next ankle strengthening exercises challenge ankle coordination, improve ankle control, and help fortify the ankles against injury.
9. Single-Leg Balance
The single-leg balance is an excellent exercise for enhancing stability, ankle strength, and proprioception.
How to do the single-leg balance:
- Stand on one leg with feet shoulder-width apart
- Slightly bend the knee of your standing leg as you carefully lift your other foot off the ground
- Focus on maintaining balance for 30 seconds, working your way up to 60 seconds
- Switch legs to complete this exercise on the other side
10. Bosu Ball or Balance Board Exercises
Looking for a challenge for your ankles and balance? The Bosu ball is one of my favourite ankle-strengthening tools. Balancing on the ball is harder than it looks but it is also fun! My clients always seem to look forward to using the Bosu ball.
Adding a balance board or Bosu ball is an excellent way to progress your skills. If you’ve mastered the single-leg balance exercise, try completing it on a Bosu ball for an added challenge.
My favourite balance and proprioception drills using the Bosu ball include the Bosu lunge and the Bosu single-leg squat. To really amp up the difficulty, consider adding weights.
11. Heel-to-Toe Walk (Tandem Walking)
The heel-to-toe walk, also known as tandem walking, requires coordination and precise movements. This challenges proprioception, strengthens stabilising muscles, and improves coordination.
How to do tandem walking:
- Choose a space with a clear path that is straight and free of obstacles
- Stand with good posture and a lengthened spine and arms at your sides
- Place one foot in directly front of the other, positioning your heel directly in front of your other foot so your heels and toes are almost touching
- Walk steadily with a focus on maintaining your balance as you continue walking forward
- Aim to walk at least 10 to 15 feet total
- For a challenge, repeat tandem walking backward
- Stay near a wall for support if needed
Plyometric and Functional Strength
12. Hopping Drills
Hopping drills take advantage of the benefits of plyometrics, exercises that feature rapid, explosive movements. These are effective for building functional strength, advanced rehab, and improved athletic performance. Be aware that plyometric exercises are high-impact and require precise technique.
Hopping drills can use side-to-side or forward-backward motions, or a mix of both. Plyometric exercises can help build explosive strength and resilience, making these drills a great choice for athletes.
How to do hopping drills
- Start by hopping up and down in place, aiming to land lightly and in control
- Add variations by hopping laterally or forward and backward
- Try to hop continuously for 30 seconds, working your way up to a full 60 seconds
Tips for Safe and Effective Ankle Strengthening
A comprehensive ankle rehabilitation program should focus on techniques and exercise that strengthen the surrounding tendons and muscles. A full recovery is important for returning to all the activities you love and preventing injury.
Here are my top tips for safe and effective ankle strengthening:
- Get Cleared for Exercise: Always discuss any new exercise programs with a healthcare professional before starting
- Don’t Rush: Start with controlled movements and progress gradually
- Consult an Expert: To find the best ankle rehabilitation exercises for you, I recommend working with a qualified physiotherapist. A physiotherapist can determine the ideal ankle rehab program for you to ensure the best outcome.
- Use Ankle Rehab Tools: Use resistance bands and balance tools for an added challenge. Resistance bands are excellent tools for ankle recovery, which is why we incorporate them in many of our ankle rehabilitation exercises.
- Stay Consistent: Incorporate these exercises into a daily routine for lasting benefits
- Follow a Structured Plan: If recovering from an injury, follow a structured rehab plan. View Physio Pro’s Ankle Rehabilitation Guide for expert structured rehabilitation resources and support.
Ankle Support During Sports
Various tools and methods can provide additional ankle support during sports or activity. This added stability can help enhance performance and guard against injury.
Common ankle support tools include taping, strapping,and braces. Our in-depth post on strapping a sprained ankle covers the benefits of taping a sprained ankle and how to do it correctly. Read our post here: How To Tape Your Ankle and check out our range of physiotherapy related products.
Along with physio tape, we carry Therabands and other ankle strengthening products and tools here: Products – Physio Pro. If you would like personalised product advice, our team would be happy to chat with you.
Perth Ankle Rehabilitation Tailored to Your Needs and Goals
Strong ankles are vital for injury prevention, balance, sports performance, and mobility.
Performing the right ankle exercises on a consistent basis can help keep your ankles strong and reduce your chance of injury.
View our ankle rehabilitation page for more guided resources or contact us to book an appointment.
