If your legs and feet are sore and tired after a hard day, that’s one thing. But what if your feet and legs feel exceptionally sore and tired on a regular basis? This could be a sign that you have weak ankles. Weak ankles will cause your feet to be unstable and may create a tendency to compensate by shifting weight to the bottom of the foot. Strengthening your ankles will stabilize the whole foot and prevent a variety of other problems.

Here are some exercises recommended to strengthen your ankles and increase flexibility:

  • Calf raise—rise up onto your toes, and repeat 10-15 times. Standing on the edge of a step will allow you to fully stretch out your calf muscles and toes in two directions. Hold onto something so you don’t fall.
  • Heel walking—just raise the front of your foot off the ground and walk around on your heels for ten minutes.
  • Hop and leap exercise—Do a side to side, and front to back motion, hopping and leaping. This helps raise awareness of where your ankles are positioned, and how they are working, which is called proprioception.
  • Stretching—Roll your ankles gently to stretch the tendons and ligaments and improve proprioception. Other stretching exercises may be suggested by your podiatrist.
  • Orthotic devices—Stabilizing devices, ankle bands and braces are excellent methods for treating weak ankles, strains and sprains. Moore Balance Braces are custom made ankle foot orthotics that provide stability and support and help prevent falls by minimizing abnormal ankle movements. It is a lightweight brace that patients can easily place in their footwear, and provides shock absorption and arch support.

If you are experiencing complications with weak ankles, talking to an experienced board-certified podiatrist for proper diagnosis and treatment is essential. At Podiatry Center of New Jersey, Dr. Russell Samofal treats a variety of conditions such as sports injuries, diabetic foot problems, pediatric foot conditions, toe deformities, arthritis, nail fungus, arch problems and heel pain. Equipped with advanced technologies and a dedicated staff, Podiatry Center of New Jersey provides individualized high quality care for patients all across Morris, Passaic, Bergen and Essex counties. Contact our Wayne office at (973) 925-4111 for an appointment.