The ankle is a complex joint which comprises a variety of muscles, ligaments and tendons. As a result, including exercises within your gym routine to help strengthen the ankle will offer greater stability for everyday life. Notably, performing gym-based exercises which require the ankle to move in different ways results in the ligaments and tendons surrounding the joint being better maintained. This helps improve the range of motion available at the ankle which is proven to reduce the likelihood of injury when taking part in activities such as running, agility training and plyometric training.

During these types of activities, it is common for the ankle to move in more ways than merely plantarflexion (for example, when performing the drive phase of a box jump) and dorsiflexion (for example, when flexing the knee during a barbell squat and reducing the angle between the tibia and foot).

Instead, the ankle is forced to invert (move the foot inward towards the body’s centre of mass) and evert (opposite of invert). Specifically, it is these two movements performed unsafely or suddenly which are commonly associated with a sprained ankle. This is because the ligaments surrounding either side of the ankle are overstretched and become damaged. Gym-based exercises which allow the ankle to move in these four ways (plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, inversion and eversion) are extremely important for anyone looking to live an active lifestyle. This blog will provide you with exercises designed to improve your ankle strength and stability.

Single Leg Box Hop from Lunge

Regression - single leg step ups while holding a pair of dumbbells.

Progression - pistol squat using a suspension trainer.

This exercise strengthens the ankle during plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. As previously mentioned, these two movements are essential for running, jumping and for general functionality to support everyday living. To perform this exercise, you will need to use a soft plyo box and have a clear area surrounding the box for safety.

Firstly, start in a lunge position in front of a plyo box with your hands by your side. Initiate the movement by bringing one hand in front of you and one behind your person. Then, switch hands to the opposite position and use the momentum to drive yourself vertically and forward up onto the box, landing on the box with one foot (two feet if too difficult). Once stable, step back down into a lunge position and repeat the movement.

Seated Calf Raise

Regression/Progression - alter the amount of weight on the Seated Calf Raise Machine or reduce/increase your reps and sets.

The seated calf raise focuses on the same movements as the previous exercise, however, overloading the targeted muscles for ankle strength becomes easier when using a seated calf raise machine. In simple terms, overloading refers to the act of placing increased stress on a particular muscle to stimulate its growth.

To perform this exercise, rest the balls of your feet on the chequered foot plate and slowly flex and extend the ankle joint. The key to achieving the greatest benefits from this exercise is controlling the tempo of each repetition. As a rule of thumb, count three seconds for both the eccentric phase (when the muscle lengthens - plantarflexion) and concentric phase (when the muscle shortens - dorsiflexion). By doing so, the ankle’s time under tension is optimised which is essential for improving its strength.

Heel Elevated Goblet Squat

Regression - regular goblet squat without a platform.

Progression - explosive goblet squat.

The heel-elevated Goblet Squat is a functional, compound exercise which utilises a squat ramp and kettlebell or Cast Iron Dumbbell to directly strengthen the tibialis anterior which is largely responsible for ankle inversion and dorsiflexion. To perform this exercise, stand with feet shoulder width apart on a squat ramp platform (the 16 degree incline provides excellent strength-based benefits by keeping the ankle under constant tension).

Once your balance has been established, squat down and pick up a Kettlebell. In terms of kettlebell positioning, hold the kettlebell by the horns just in front of your chest whilst keeping your elbows tucked in. From this point, you are going to squat down, placing greater tension on the tibialis anterior.

Seated Ankle Stability Training with Resistance Bands

Using resistance bands to focus on ankle stability across each of the four primary movements (dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, eversion and inversion) provides an effective solution for mobilising the ankle prior to exercise, promoting rehabilitation of damaged ligaments/tendons/muscles and preventing DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) post-exercise.

Plantarflexion and Dorsiflexion

To focus on dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, you will need to wrap the resistance band (make sure you start with a light band) around the ball of one foot and rest the heel of the foot on a foam roller. Once this position has been established, use one hand to hold the resistance band in place. Then, point your toes away from the body (plantarflexion) and slowly bring them back to the starting position (by prolonging this phase of the repetition you can also focus on dorsiflexion).

Secondly, to gain the most benefit with regards to flexing your toes up (dorsiflexion), you will need to have access to an anchor which can be placed in front of the targeted foot (for example, a kettlebell, leg of a squat rack or a training partner) to wrap the resistance band around and feed it back to your hand.

Eversion and Inversion

Lastly, to focus on eversion and inversion, you will need to use flat resistance bands so that the resistance does not exceed the capabilities of the muscles enabling these movements. To perform ankle eversion, wrap the resistance band around the ball of your foot and tie a knot in the band. Place the heel of this foot onto a foam roller. Then, wrap the end nearest to the knot behind your other foot and use one hand to hold the resistance band in place. This will allow you to point your toes away from the body’s centre of mass with tension from the resistance band.

In contrast, to focus on ankle inversion, have the knot of the resistance band pointing away from your body and cross this foot over your other foot whilst holding the end of the resistance band with your opposite hand. Then, wrap the resistance band behind your foot to establish the lever. This will allow you to point the toes towards the body’s centre of mass with constant tension from the resistance band.

In conclusion, a balance of ankle strengthening and stabilisation exercises are vital for prolonging its longevity. Due to the ankle being the foundation for any weight bearing exercise and most forms of physical activity, the importance of including these exercises within your exercise programme is extremely high. Lastly, as a rule of thumb, for any strength-focused exercise aim for 6-8 repetitions, and for any stability-focused exercise aim for 12-15 repetitions; both of which should be sustained for 3-4 sets.

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Tags: Equipment > Kettlebells ; Equipment > Resistance Bands