Sports Orthopedic Surgeon & Joint Preservation Specialist Expert Interview. That works the peroneals, which help support the outside of your ankle. If you're stretching your right foot, for instance, you'd turn your toes to the right. Another exercise you can do with a band is to slip it under your foot, then turn your ankle so your toes are pointing to the side.You should feel light resistance, but the band should not actively be pulling your ankle back in your neutral stance. Do not over-tension the band or it could snap and potentially cause injury.Repeat two or three sets of this exercise with five to ten reps per foot in each set.Then, with the band around your ankle, lunge forward until your knee is directly over your foot. Walk forward until you feel some resistance on the band. Strap one end of your exercise band around something sturdy, such as a table leg, and slip the other end around your ankle. Do 10 clockwise circles and 10 anti-clockwise circles. This article has been viewed 31,395 times. Use a rolled towel or a foam roller (foam rolling) and keep it under one of your legs. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

Frank is currently a scientific reviewer for top peer-reviewed scientific journals, and his research has been presented at regional, national, and international orthopedic conferences, winning several awards including the prestigious Mark Coventry and William A Grana awards. He is a staff team physician for the US Ski and Snowboard Team. He completed an orthopedic residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and a fellowship in Orthopedic Sports Medicine and Hip Preservation at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. Grab a lacrosse ball to roll your arches. Roll Your Ankles Arches can sometimes tighten and make ankles stiff, Julian says. Hold for 30 seconds, repeating two to three times per foot. Hang Your Heels Hang your heels off a step to target your calves. Frank holds an MD from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. This gives the tissue and ankle joint time to acclimate before getting out of the stretch. It can be performed with anything from five-pound plates to a textbook. This drill works the calf muscles and gradually improves ankle mobility. Frank's practice focuses on minimally invasive, arthroscopic surgery of the knee, shoulder, hip, and elbow. The most basic exercise you can do to improve ankle mobility is a simple drill called heel raises.

Jonathan Frank is an Orthopedic Surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California, specializing in sports medicine and joint preservation. This article was co-authored by Jonathan Frank, MD.

Ankle mobility stretches