Strengthen your ankles with these simple exercises
What's the story
Ankle mobility is crucial for maintaining balance, preventing injuries, and enhancing overall movement efficiency.
African traditional exercises offer unique approaches to improving ankle strength and flexibility.
These exercises are rooted in cultural practices that emphasize natural body movements.
By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you can enhance your ankle health and reduce the risk of injuries.
Here are some effective African ankle exercises that can help improve mobility and prevent injuries.
Balance exercise
Heel-to-toe walks
Heel-to-toe walks are another simple yet effective exercise to improve balance and strengthen the ankles.
Start by standing upright with feet together.
Step forward with one foot, placing the heel directly in front of the toes of the other foot.
Continue walking in a straight line for about 10 steps, concentrating on maintaining balance throughout the movement.
This exercise improves coordination between different muscle groups around the ankle.
Flexibility routine
Ankle circles
Ankle circles are great for improving flexibility around the joint.
Sit comfortably with one leg extended outwards and the other bent at a 90-degree angle on the floor/chair edge (for support purposes only, not weight-bearing).
Rotate your extended foot clockwise 10 times, before switching directions counterclockwise another 10 times.
Repeat on both legs alternately till desired repetitions are achieved successfully without discomfort/strain felt anywhere else but targeted areas involved during execution phase itself.
Strength building
Calf raises
Calf raises don't just target calves, but also strengthen your ankles considerably.
When done correctly and consistently, the results are visible.
The exercise needs to be practiced regularly as per a schedule based on your needs and goals.
It helps you advance further ahead, improve overall movement efficiency, and lowers the risk of injuries.
Coordination drill
Toe taps
Toe taps improve coordination without putting any unnecessary strain or risk of injury.
This exercise emphasizes the execution phase, making you better at balancing and controlling.
It encourages healthy movement, thus minimizing the risk of ankle injuries.
Toe taps is a simple but effective way of strengthening the muscles surrounding the ankle, thus ensuring improved mobility and stability.