BALANCE AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE EXERCISE TO IMPROVE YOUR ANKLE STABILITY.
These exercises are recommended for people who are currently not in pain. If you are still recovering from an ankle injury, ask your physical therapist before beginning these exercises. Try these exercises without shoes for greater challenge. Single leg balance: Standing on one leg, keep shoulders and pelvis level. Work up to balancing for 30 seconds
• Superman lean: hinge from your hip, keep back straight. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Increase challenge by adding light dumbbells and perform an upper extremity row while maintaining the forward lean position. Single leg balance toe taps/ clock:
Once that becomes easy, close your eyes for the 30 seconds. The following are ways to progress this simple exercise:
Keeping your alignment: pelvis level, shoulders level, slightly bend the knee you are standing on. With the other leg, tap the foot in different directions as if you are following the time on a clock. For example, if you are standing on your left leg the right foot would go out to right side for 3 o’clock, then return to center. Try to do this reaching for different points on the clock for 60 seconds. Band: step out four-way
• Clasp hands in
front of your body, arms straight.
Maintain balance and move arms to one side. Repeat 30 times alternating between sides. • Stand on an unstable surface; start with a pillow and move up to more challenging such as a BOSU ball (use caution as you advance, hold onto a stable support at first to be sure you can control the new challenge). Hold for 15-30 seconds.
Progress to eyes closed only if you are very stable with the eyes open and can hold for 30 seconds easily.
With a resistance band around your ankles, keep your right foot still and step out with your left foot forward and return, then step out to the side and return. Repeat on the other side. The key is to control the motion on the return to start position.
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