If you have an injury to your ankle or leg, stretches are really important. This keeps the joint stretched out and moving so that it can heal better. Here are some stretches to try out.
Heel Cord Stretch
A great stretch that works on your ankle after you have sprained it is the heel cord stretch. You will feel this stretch not only in your heel, but your calf as well, which is often affected by an ankle injury.
For this type of stretch, you need to stand up, so you should wait to do the stretch until you are able to bear weight on that foot. Start by standing in front of a wall with the injured leg behind you with the heel flat on the ground. Press your hips toward the wall to gentle stretch the back of the ankle and your calf with your toes pointed up a little bit to really work on the stretch.
Seated Ankle Stretches
There are a few different stretches you can do while sitting, which are good when standing is a little too difficult for you. Sit somewhere comfortable and try moving your ankle in different ways until you feel it stretch. Make sure you don’t move it around too much to where it causes pain.
Try pointing your toes and putting your foot up, where you feel a stretch behind the back of the ankle. You can also try pointing the ankle down and inward for an inverted ankle stretch.
Roll a Ball Under Your Foot
If your foot or ankle injury is related to your plantar fascia, using a ball to roll under your foot can be helpful. You just need a small ball like a golf ball or the equivalent of that. Sit down on a chair or the edge of a couch, and place the ball on the floor in front of you.
Put your foot on top of the ball, pointing your foot down and arching it slightly. Now roll it back and forth on the floor beneath your foot. Do this for a couple minutes and it should start to stretch out the ligament.
You can also try talking to your doctor for recommendations on other stretches you can do. Just make sure your ankle is not currently in a lot of pain or still swollen, or those stretches are not going to be useful.
