4 Exercises to Support a Sprained Ankle

 Spraining your ankle is possibly one of the most painful injuries you can sustain. It is caused by rolling, twisting, or unusually turning your ankle. The tight bands of tissue (ligaments) that keep your ankle bones together might be stretched or torn due to this.

Image Credit

Ligaments aid in the stabilisation of joints and the prevention of excessive movement. When ligaments are stretched beyond their normal range of motion, it results in a sprained ankle. The ligaments on the outside of the ankle are most commonly injured in sprained ankles.

How a sprained ankle is treated depends on the type of injury you have sustained and what degree of damage you have caused. It is always worth voting your doctor to ascertain how bad your ankle sprain is and your optimal recovery method.

Supporting your sprained ankle

You need to make sure you follow your doctor's advice when exercising again following an ankle sprain. An ankle sprain can take some time to heal anywhere from a few weeks to 6 months or longer, depending on the damage, so it is imperative that you avoid overcomplicating your injury and adding to the damage by exercising too soon.

When you work out, you may find it preferable to kt tape an ankle sprain [learn the method] or to wear some other form of support to help minimise the impact of your workout on your ankle as it heals.

Start with small exercises that aim to support your recovery and increase the range of motion in your ankle after a sprain to help you build up your muscles and damaged ligaments.

Resistance bands

Resistance bands are a great way of stretching your muscles and ligaments after an injury. In fact, most physiotherapists will support the use of resistance bands after an injury of this sort.

Use the band as resistance when stretching your foot and working through different exercises to give you support and stability. If you don't have a resistance band try using a rolled-up towel instead to give the support.

Heel Raises

Stand in front of a wall, chair desk, or a stable object that can support your weight and put your arms out in front of you, touching the wall. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and raise yourself onto your tiptoes and back down again 10 times. Once you can comfortably do this, increase the number of reps you do to 20 and so on.

One-Leg Balance

Lift your healthy leg behind you with your hands on a wall, countertop, or chair back so that the leg supports your weight with the injured ankle. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds. As you gain strength, try performing it with only one or two fingers supporting you. Do this without holding on when you're stronger.

Knee Movements

Sin on the floor with knees raised and your feet flat on the floor. Then slowly drop one knee to the floor and move it from side to side, all while keeping your foot flat on the floor and the ankle still. This will help to regain flexibility in the joint and strengthen the ligaments.