Ankle Exercises - Strengthen Your Feet and Ankles

1. Ankle Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion

Place a rolled-up towel under your left calf. Move your foot up toward your body. Keep your knee straight. Hold this position for six seconds. Then move foot slowly downward and hold for six seconds. Return to starting position and do six repetitions. Repeat the entire exercise with the other leg.

2. Foot Inversion and Eversion, Active

Sit up straight with your back firmly against the back of a chair. Slowly turn your left foot inward. Hold this position for six seconds. Then turn foot very slowly outward and hold for another six seconds. Repeat this exercise six times. Repeat entire exercise with right foot. (To make exercise a strengthening exercise, add weights.)

3. Ankle Dorsiflexion, Plantarflexion, Inversion and Eversion- Ankle Circles

Sit up straight with your back firmly against the back of the chair. Slowly move your left foot in a circle moving clockwise. Repeat this movement six times. Then slowly move the same foot in a circle counter-clockwise. Repeat this movement six times. Repeat the entire exercise with the right foot.

4. Ankle Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion - Active

Stand in front of a table. Place your hands on the table and raise yourself up on your toes. Remain on toes for six seconds. Then slowly return to standing position and rock back on heels. Hold position for six seconds. Repeat this six times.

5. Ankle Plantarflexion - Stretching

Stand with forearms on wall, left toes close to wall, right foot behind. Toes on the right foot face inward (toward the middle of your body). Roll weight gently to outside border of the right foot. Lean body forward with back leg straight. Keep heel on floor. Stretch is felt in the calf. Hold for six seconds. Repeat with opposite leg and hold again for six seconds. Repeat entire stretching exercise six times.