Strong Ankles Can Change Your Life

You are just stepping off the curb or playing tennis, when, “Ouch,” you tweak your ankle. No matter whether you are doing something routine or are demanding a lot from your body, if you are caught with weakness and instability, your joint shifts excessively and the tendons and muscles are traumatized.

You may do Yoga and Pilates. You may walk and jog. You may lift weights or do very little. You may get massages, do postural training, have a personal trainer. The question remains, “Why do I have weak ankles?” 

This video shows the how the ankle responds to high forces.  Note that the defender is strong, but it is his being caught with the inability to match the force that causes the destabilization of the joint.  For the athlete wanting to out-compete another athlete, it will take priority-strengthening the ankle and the rest of his body to redistribute the forces rapidly and appropriately.  To keep from wobbling or falling from a "twisted ankle," the concept is the same.  Strength must meet demand or the ankle gives way to weakness.

What helps the body to recover and repair quickly and what prevents the injuries are the same: Empower muscles of many areas of your body to permanently maintain repositioning of your ankle joint during motion. This is dynamic stabilization.   When you do this, you take the strain off the at-risk or hurting tissues to promote healing, and the pain subsides. 

Static stabilization attempts to statically position the joint for healing.  Co-contractions, rest, immobilization, taping, braces, and static positioning methods support healing by restricting and limiting motion.  “Twisting” your ankle does not happen “statically,” that is, when you are not moving.  Instead of restricting or limiting your body's motions and your rate of healing, you can reduce your recovery time and gain priority ranges as you improve with dynamic stabilization.

Your ankle, as simple as it may look, is very complex in its ranges. With the contribution of the many bones of your foot and the way the two bones of your shin move with the ankle and the knee, you cannot expect dynamic strength gains unless you prioritize and purposefully train the ranges of the surrounding joints.

For an older person, even a dozen priority ranges could give you the stability on your feet that could save your life and quality of life. It can keep you from hitting your head, breaking your hip, depending on a walker, or wheelchair. If you are an athlete, it ought to excite you that you can gain such a clear advantage as you out-maneuver your competition, improve your speed and accuracy, and keep from serious career-costing injuries in your feet, ankles, knees and hips. Having strong ankles can change your life.