Strengthening exercises

The following strengthening guide is intended for information purposes only. We recommend seeking professional advice before attempting any rehabilitation.

In the early stages of strengthening you should avoid any exercises which involve sideways movements at the ankle as this can place additional stress on the healing ligaments.

Resisted dorsiflexion

• Using a rehabilitation band pull the foot and toes up against resistance and then down again. Aim for 10 to 20 repetitions and 3 sets with a short rest in between.
• This is an important strengthening exercise, however it is important not to over do this one. Remember you will still have to walk on the ankle after the strengthen session so do not take the ankle to fatigue.
• Over time this may also lead to pain in the front of the shin - less is probably more with this exercise > Play video

Resisted plantarflexion

• Using a rehabilitation band for resistance, point the foot away from you before slowly allowing it to return to a resting position. Aim for 10-20 reps and 3 sets with a short rest in between > Play video
• Once this exercise feels easy, you can progress on to calf raises

Calf raise

• This exercise will strengthen the calf muscles (Gastrocnemius and Soleus). Rise up and down on the toes in a smooth movement.
• You should be able to progress quite quickly with this one but aim for 3 sets of 10 and build up steadily, a few each day > Play video
• Once you find this quite easy, start performing the exercise on one leg only. This will feel a lot harder, so start with low reps again and gradually increase. You can also perform these on a step as shown in the video, allowing the heel to drop down past the level of the step.

Once you can do so pain free, try exercises involving eversion and inversion to help strengthen the muscles which help to control the 'rolling' action at the ankle.

Isometric (static) eversion

• Isometric means there is no movement at the joint throughout the exercise.
• Simply place the outside of the foot against a wall or even both feet between the legs of a chair and press the outside of the foot as hard as you can against the resistance (image 4)
• Hold for 5 seconds, rest for 3 seconds and repeat initially 3 times and gradually increase up to 10 times.

Resisted eversion

• The second exercise will strengthen the muscles dynamically (when moving). Use resistance band or equivalent and turn the foot outwards against resistance.
• Resistance can also be applied by a partners hands. Start with 3 sets of 10 reps and build up.
• The exact number of reps will vary depending on the amount of resistance and the strength of the ankle. Aim for high reps, low resistance in the early stages > Play video

Functional exercises >>