Exercise for weak ankles

[Anonymous]

Post pregnancy I had awful joint pain. It got better but my ankles are still incredibly weak. Any tips on building strength in the ankles or where to start. I just assumed they would get better on their own. Pain is gone, but so weak.

[Anonymous]

Can you give some examples of what situations make your ankles feel week?

How is regular walking?

One of the best things in helping increase strength and stability in my ankles, was to walk uphill (treadmill is great for this).

Do NOT hold on to the railings, handlebars, or any part of the treadmill. These do not mimic walking in "real life" and do not strengthen your legs much - especially when it comes to balance and stability.

Go as slow as you need to, with a as little of an incline. Slowly increase and test new levels out (you can do short 30-60 second intervals). It's SO much better to go snail slow, and walk with a decreased incline (or even flat), than prematurely increase either and hold on to the treadmill. Forget the awful form - people who do that aren't even getting much of a workout, since it dramatically decreases the effort on your legs (largest muscle groups, and calorie burners in the body).

But anyway, start walking. If you want to slowly build strength, slowly add incline.

[Anonymous]

As long as you are sure nothing is really wrong, you can try the following: hold onto a table or the back of a chair, and raise yourself up on your tiptoes. Do this ten times. When you get strong enough, do it on one foot, one leg at a time. You can also get a stretchy thera-band or resistance band, loop it around your foot with your leg extended over the edge of the bed while you hold onto the other end, and point your toes.

[Anonymous]

Sitting down - draw the ABCs with your foot both capital and lower case Do it 2 or 3 times a day. Using therabands to point and flex helps as well.