15/05/2025
ANKLE INJURY PREVENTION ��
After your first lateral ankle sprain, just strapping your ankle on return to sport for the next 6 months reduces your risk by 62%. If you do proper, consistent rehab in the background as well, you will reduce this risk even more. I have put together some exercises that target 5 different capacities your ankles need to reduce injury risk, and improve your physical performance 💪
1️⃣ MOBILITY (Example - PB ankle mobs 10-20 repetitions). Swelling and stiffness can reduce your ankle mobility. You need to build this back up to reduce the risk of overloading other structures like your achilles/calf. Your ankle ‘Knee to Wall’ test should be ideally 10cm, or your mobility needs work
2️⃣ PROPRIOCEPTION (Example - DB Rotating SL Balance, 5-10kg, x10 reps Clockwise, x10 reps Counterclockwise). Your balance, coordination, and motor control can be impaired when injuring your ankle ligaments. You need to re train this with specific exercises to start appropriately engaging the intricate muscles, tendons and ligaments of your foot/ankle complex��
3️⃣ POWER (Example - SL Hops in a box 3x10-20 seconds). After an ankle injury, it is inevitable that you will lose explosiveness, particularly in the early stages when avoiding plyometrics to let the injury settle. Once you have enough strength, it’s time to start moving at faster speeds and building your springiness again��
4️⃣ STRENGTH (Example - Seated SL Calf Raise 3x8 - aiming for at least 1/2 your bodyweight overtime). As you allow your ankle to recover in the early stages, you will potentially lose strength and muscle mass during this process of healing. Load up your exercises as pain permits, and stop getting comfortable doing bodyweight exercises only or you’ll never get strong enough!��
5️⃣ EXPOSURE (Example - Inverted Walking - 4x8-10 metres). This is more a psychological thing. If you are apprehensive loading up in the position you hurt yourself in, or are scared to do it, you probably aren’t ready to return to competitive sport. If you are comfortable doing this, and pain free, it will be reassuring that you can expose yourself to this vulnerable position
