Strengthen Your Ankles For Sport

Virgin Radio DJ Simone Heng is about to race around Safa Park to raise funds for Breast Cancer Arabia. Sports physiotherapist Simon Raftery has put together five exercises to help Simone strengthen her ankle joints and keep those sprains at bay

Single Leg Calf Raises On Step
Place your right foot on the step and keep your left foot on the floor. Slowly rise up onto the balls of both feet, then lower. Repeat twice on each side to failure.

Single Leg Soleus Raise
Stand on a step. Hold onto something secure. Now, place your right foot over your left knee. Rise up onto your left toe, then lower slowly. Repeat twice on each side to failure.

Balance Exercise
Stand on a rolled-up towel and hold a small ball (we’re using a small dumbbell). Lift your left leg off the floor. Now bend and reach to touch an object. Repeat 30 times each side, while not allowing the foot that is in the air to touch the ground.

Single Leg ball Roll
Physio’s note: The muscle that we’re exercising here is the left gluteus medius. Scientific research has shown that if this is weak, you increase your chances of ankle sprain.
Stand your right leg and push the ball with your left leg into the wall. Make sure that your left hip is high and your abs are engaged. Roll the ball backwards and forwards for three minutes. Move your hands in a running action. Repeat on the other side.

Single Leg Calf Raises With Elastic
Loop a piece of elastic around your right leg and attach onto a solid fixture. Now as raise your left knee as you rise up on to your toes of both feet. Do 20 knee raises. You can hold on to something secure at first, then do this exercise without holding on. Repeat three times on each side.

Simone will be running around Safa Park in October to raise funds for Breast Cancer Arabia. To find out more about the run and to donate visit http://simoneheng.com/#blogs-detail/simone-hengs-run-for-breast-cancer

Simon Raftery  is an Australian sports physio based in Singapore.

Photography IBP. Shot on location at Engine Health & Fitness (www.ehf.ae).