The 6 Best Ankle-Strengthening Exercises
Written by Christopher Ioannou, BSc (Hons) Sports & Exercise Science
Reading Time: 9 minutes
Table of contents
The video version of this post:
Introduction
When we talk about the ankle joint, we must include the foot in the conversation too. Together, they are referred to as the “foot and ankle complex” in the scientific literature.
Now, this does not mean that the ankle joint is difficult to understand. What it does mean is that the ankle should not be looked at without reference to the foot and vice versa.
So, it is this holistic approach that we took when we selected the best ankle-strengthening exercises for you.
To better understand what I’m talking about here, let’s use an analogy: Compare the ankle to a door hinge and the anchor screws to the foot. When the screws are loose, the hinge is unstable and is pulled out of proper alignment.
Similarly, if the foot is dysfunctional and the arch collapses, it pulls the ankle out of alignment.
Figure 1 - Pronated, collapsed arch is similar to a loose door hinge
However, as soon as the screws are tightened, the hinge stabilizes.
Similarly, when the foot arch is activated and stable, it pulls the ankle joints into proper alignment, ready to handle the demands of movement.
Figure 2 - A foot and ankle that is in good alignments behaves like a secure door hinge
In other words, the feet are the foundation for the body. That’s why we appropriately named our feet-strengthening program on our website “The Strong Feet, Strong Foundation Program.”
The Role of the Foot and Ankle Complex
Alright, with this in mind, there are three main demands we make on our foot and ankle complex:
1. The first is to be able to perform a Single Leg Balance. If you think about it, running, our most primal human motion, is just a series of single leg supports. So, if we were not able to balance and support ourselves on one leg, we wouldn’t even be able to run.
Figure 3 - Single leg balance is required in most upright movements
2. The second quality we demand of our foot and ankle complex is to effectively absorb impact forces. Did you know that when we run, our lower limbs have to absorb forces of three to four times our bodyweight on each step due to gravitational pull? When we jump and land, these forces are even higher! It’s an inability to tolerate these impact forces that cause so many injuries.
Figure 4 - The foot and ankle complex helps to absorb impact forces during movement
3. Finally, our foot and ankle complex needs to be able to stiffen, in what is known as “supination.” This foot shape forms a stable platform upon which large amounts of force can be generated by the big muscles of the upper limbs to move the body [1].
Figure 5 - Supination forms a stable base upon which force can be generated by the big muscles of the legs
Therefore, the best ankle-strengthening exercises must assist in improving our ability to tolerate these three physical demands.
The Single Leg Balance Exercises
Alright, let’s deal with these issues one at a time, starting with single leg balance ability.
A study done on balance training for persons with functional ankle instability found that those who had bad ankles also had a significantly harder time balancing on one leg, with a 27% reduction in balancing ability compared to those with stable ankles [2].
Rozzi, S., Lephart, S., Sterner, R. and Kuligowski, L., 1999. Balance Training for Persons With Functionally Unstable Ankles. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 29(8), pp.478-486.
These findings suggest that a root cause of ankle instability might be a general deficit in lower limb balance ability.
So then, what is the best way to train the ankles for better single limb balance?
Well, logic tells me that to become better at balancing on one leg, we must simply practice balancing on one leg.
However, as a sports scientist, I like to validate my logic with scientific research, and in this case, I was able to do so.
For example, one study found that athletes with severely pronated and flat feet who participated in a six-week strength and balancing program were able to significantly improve their single leg balance ability and foot alignment using two basic single leg balancing exercises [3].
Suzuki, R., 2004. The Effect of a 6-Week Strength and Balance Training Program on Navicular Drop and Pro-prioception in Excessive Pronated Foot.
These will be the first two exercise in our ankle-strengthening regime today.
1. Single Leg Balance
The first entailed just standing on one leg and balancing in that position for one minute on each side per set.
Single Leg Balance: 2-5 sets of 60-second reps per leg
2. Single Leg Balance with Heel Raise
The second exercise required the participants to stand on one leg, but to slowly raise their heels off the ground to a count of six, after which they had to slowly lower their heels back down, also to a count of six. This was repeated five time on each leg per set.
Single Leg Balance with Heel Raise: 2-5 sets of 6-second tempo reps (up and down) per leg
3. Balance Board/Beam Training
We can also take our balance training to a whole other level by doing balance beam training. The thin and round surface of the beam really challenges the foot and ankle complex to find stability using every single little muscle, as can be seen by the work my toes are doing to grip the beam in the following image.
Balance Board/Beam Training: 2-5 sets of 60-second balance per set per leg
We were able to create our own balance beam using PVC water pipe, as well as a complementary DIY balance board, which has a host of other benefits as well.
The step-by-step tutorial for creating your own balance training devices cheaply, including 30 exercises developed by our team to specifically target the foot and ankle complex, can be found in our Ankle Stability Course.
So, the single leg balance, single leg balance with a heel raise and balance beam walks are the first three ankle-strengthening exercises on our list in this video.
Isometric Foot and Ankle Stability Exercises
The next set of exercises we are going look at are to help the foot and ankle complex to effectively absorb impact forces during movement.
Much like the trunk, which holds the spine together with a large array of muscles to enhance core stability, each foot has 26 bones wrapped in four layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance the stability of the foot arch [4].
Figure 6 - The foot and core both have a large array of stabilizing muscles
This arch acts as the primary load bearer and shock absorber during dynamic activities. I guess we could think of the foot arches as being like the suspension or shocks of a car [5].
It is the foot arch’s ability to resist compressive loads that determines whether the ankle joints can remain in proper alignment.
We can demonstrate this using a simple piece of cardboard with a weighted cylinder attached to it, meant to represent the ankle and shin bones. If we suspend the ankle model off the edge, while the foot remains flattened, you can see how the load of the cylinder is too much for the structure to handle and it just falls off the side. However, if I create an arch shape with the paper foot, meant to represent our actual in-built foot arch, then you can see how the ankle is now steady and supported.
Figure 7 - The arch shape creates support for the foot & ankle
So, even with some foot arch deformation upon impact, which is normal, the ankle can only be held in place if the arch is stable enough.
And again, collapsing that structure, as in the case of fallen arches, totally removes the stable base upon which the ankle joints are supposed to stand.
In a similar way, the feet are connected to the knees and to the hips, which are connected to the lower back – and so the interlinked chain continues all the way up the body. So, when the foot arch loses its stability and proper position, then everything on top of it loses its alignment too.
Figure 8 - A stable foot and ankle complex promotes good alignment in the rest of the body too
Again, this is why you have a strong foundation if you have strong feet.
Anyway, I think I’ve made my point. So, without rambling on anymore, let’s check out some exercises to help improve the shock-absorbing quality of the foot and ankle complex.
4. Heel Raise Walks
The first exercise is heel raise walks, which are initiated by pressing your toes into the ground really hard, so that your heels lift slightly off the floor. Then it’s just a matter of simply walking around while keeping the heels elevated.
The basic premise behind this exercise is to accentuate the arch-stabilizing effect caused by the impact of each step.
Heel Raise Walks: 10 minutes daily
5. Heel Raise Walks on the Stairs
This exercise can also be done on stairs. So, instead of placing the whole foot on each stair, you place only the forefoot on the step and keep the heels suspended off the edge.
Heel Raise Walks on the Stairs: On every flight of stairs
Strengthening the Ankle in Supination
The final ankle-strengthening exercises we will look at are designed to supinate the feet, which is the specific shape that the foot needs to get into to stiffen and form an arch, which, as explained earlier, becomes the solid base from which force can be generated during dynamic movements [6].
This was explained and illustrated so well in the paper titled Biomechanics of the Foot in Walking: A Function Approach by McPoil and Knecht. As shown in their illustrations of the left foot, the first example is of a pronated foot, which can be identified by the planes of axes of these joints being in parallel alignment with one another.
Image recreation from study: McPoil, T. and Knecht, H., 1985. Biomechanics of the Foot in Walking: A Function Approach. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 7(2), pp.69-72.
This parallel position results in the “unlocking” of the arch, essentially changing the foot into a mobile flat structure with no inherent skeletal stability.
However, as the foot moves from a pronated to a neutral position and finally into a supinated position, the planes of the axes converge. This convergence locks the bones of the arch, creating the rigid foot structure that is necessary for maximum stability and force production [7].
This was proven in a study in which the strength of the ankle musculature in people with excessive pronations was tested. The authors found that when the foot could not properly supinate, force production was severely affected in this area [8].
Snook, A., 2001. The Relationship between Excessive Pronation as Measured by Navicular Drop and Isokinetic Strength of the Ankle Musculature. Foot & Ankle International, 22(3), pp.234-240.
6. Supinated lunges
Okay, so the exercise to help improve lower limb supination is supinated lunges.
Start by creating a slightly slanted platform to stand on. I’m using our Exercising Health balance board, which we teach you how to make in our Ankle Stability Course. But any plank would do for this exercise. Then, while standing on one leg, with the gradient sloping away from you, step backwards with the opposite leg into a reverse lunge. Then, press down hard into the board and stand back up.
Supinated Lunges: 2-5 sets of 8-15 reps
Obviously, we want to be able to do this on a flat surface, without relying on a slanted board – but this is a good way to start to develop the right sensations of exerting force with the foot in a good position.
And there you have it folks – 6 of the best ankle-strengthening exercises.
Conclusion
If you want to get our comprehensive list of exercises for strengthening your feet and ankles, with in-depth video tutorials for each one, as well as all the theory behind how to build your athleticism from the ground up, then check out the courses in our shop.
Anyways, until next time, cheers!
