Looking for Ankle strengthening

[Guest HadaDelBaile]

Hello!

 

I am looking for some exercises for my feet to strengthen my ankle but to also help with mild sickling of the foot. I've been searching around but havn't found any detailed exercises yet. Does anyone know of any I could try?

 

Thank you

 

Maria

[Garyecht]

My favorite was just pointing and flexing while sitting on the floor with the legs extended, both in parallel and turned out positions. We did this exercise often in modern class. There are tons of exercises (essentially everything you do in a ballet class helps), but I always liked the slow articulation of the foot in the point-flex exercises commonly done in modern class.

[Guest HadaDelBaile]

thank you Garyecht!

 

I'm always looking for extra curricular activities to do while I'm at home or at work, I will keep that in mind. Class has helped alot, I use to be really sickle footed and pigion toes but I am walking straight now (if not sometimes slightly turned out at the hips lol)and the sickle is minor, I'm just looking for a few extras to help the process.

 

Thank you for your help!

maria

[Guest Hattie]

I am going to the physiotherapist on thursday about my ankle. Any useful exercises I get, I will write up here.

 

Garyecht- that's the exercise I do most! When I first started ballet (age 5 or so), we had an exercise called "good feet, naughty feet" that was exactly that, so that's the name it's stuck with for me!

[dianec]

Hattie, My 7 yr old has recently learnt the "good feet, naughty feet" description, which amuses him greatly.

Can anyone describe to me the exact physical link between not wobbling/sickling at the ankles and abdominal strength? I know it works but don't understand why.

[Adage]

There's an exercise a friend at the ENB was taught to strengthen her ankles. While being beside a wall (for support if necessary), she held one foot against the ankle of the other, and rose onto demi pointe, thinking of pushing down with her body, while coming down, she thought of pushing 'up', very slowly. So the same 'coupe' place you'd hold the foot in frappe preparation, but doing rises very very slowly, with the weight on one leg. And repetition!

[jimpickles]

Maria - I dealt with persistent sickling by, when doing the point and flex exercise as described by Garyecht, concentrating on working the outside edge (i.e. small-toe edge) of the foot really hard. Over time, this strengthened the muscles which helped hold the foot straight. Also, in all exercises when the foot is pointed, to work the muscles on the outside of the leg most. For the lower leg, this is also on the side of the leg where you are pulling your muscles up to help maintain turnout, and this helped me remember to stop the foot sickling during exercises.

 

Jim.

[Guest HadaDelBaile]

Thanks everyone there are good ideas here! keep em coming as you find them

 

thank you so much!!

Maria

[Guest Hattie]

I went to the physiotherapist this morning but she didn't give me any proper exercises to do (other than ones using therabands) that aren't really specific. I have to go back on monday to start proper treatment, and if I get any exercises to do I'll let you all know.

 

Dianec - "good feet, naughty feet" is so cool! We used to do it with facial expressions. Much more fun that way!

[Guest Raymonde]

Here is a tendu exercise at barre on my R&D list that's fun to try:

From 1st position in stocking or bare feet:

While standing on both feet, tap the middle three toes of the jesture leg four times without letting the little toe or the big toe come off the ground.

Then Tap the big toe four times without any of the other toes coming off the ground.

Then tap foot four times while keeping your feet in first.

Then four tendus articulating throughfoot of course.

Repeat En Crois

 

My theory is this exercise activates the muscles in your calf that you want to use to stretch your ankle. The experiment in class showed promise as nobody sickled their foot during the exercise.

 

It's fun

[Guest HadaDelBaile]

wow that does sound interesting ill have to try that, thank you!!!!

[Guest sally-mandy]

HadaDelBaile: if you look over on the compressible feet thread, there's a suggestion about a good book of exercises for strengthening feet.

[cassy]

Just a thought, wobble boards have been mentioned in other posts and some physiotherapists use them too apparently?!

Not sure what other peoples opinions are about wobble boards - Ive never used one myself

[jimpickles]

I have - I think they're great. They are very good at getting the fast ankle reflexes and kinaesthetic sensitivity needed for balance and ankle control. The best sort that I like, is like a flattened half-inflated football, made just of rubber, which you stand one with one foot and try and balance.

 

Jim.