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Ankles: For hikers, they’re the little joint that could. Sitting at the junction of three bones, the tibia, fibula, and talus, your ankles allow your feet to tilt and rotate, letting you keep your grip—and your balance—on difficult terrain. Unfortunately, that same flexibility that makes them so key to keeping you moving on the trail can lead to injuries if you stumble or twist your ankle on a protruding rock or root. Keeping the muscles that stabilize this key joint strong isn’t just important to help prevent injury, it can also help you hike farther while feeling less sore than usual. If you’re trying to make the switch from boots or heavier-weight hiking shoes into minimalist trail runners, that’s especially important. Work these four essential ankle exercises into your routine and reap the benefits. —The Editors
Four-way Resistance Band Stretch
Sit on a chair or the floor with your right leg straight, wrap a resistance band around your right foot and hold it in both hands. Maintaining resistance in the band, rotate your ankle inward and outward for one rep. Do one to three sets of 10-15 repetitions on each foot daily. Challenge yourself: Increase the resistance by shortening the band or switch to a higher resistance band to test your strength.
Balance Leg Lifts
Tie a large resistance or elastic band into a loop and slip the loop onto the leg of a sturdy, four-legged chair. Stand alongside the chair and put your left foot inside the loop, move away from the chair so that there’s light tension in the loop (it shouldn’t give resistance, but shouldn’t flop around). Use the chair to steady yourself and cross your left foot in front of your right leg as far as the elastic permits. Do two sets of 15 to 20 repetitions on each leg. Challenge yourself: Add more resistance and increase the repetitions to 25 to 30 on each leg.
Calf Raises
Keeping your knees and back straight, stand with both legs shoulder width apart. Raise your heels up off the floor as high as you can and hold for 30 seconds. Return to the floor and repeat. Do 15 repetitions twice daily. Challenge yourself: Perform on a step with your heels unsupported. Allow your heels to drop below the level of the step without letting them touch the floor and slowly rise back up. Do three sets of 20.
Alphabet Range of Motion Exercise
Sit on a chair, cross your right leg over your left and imagine your big toe is a writing instrument. Flex your ankle and begin tracing the letters of the alphabet from A-Z. Repeat on the opposite ankle and perform twice daily. Challenge yourself: Create a sling using a loop of 1-inch webbing and a 5-pound dumbbell. Hang the sling from the base of your toes to add resistance and trace the letters of the alphabet backwards.
From 2024