If you want to stay active and independent long into your golden years, you’ll need to take care of your feet and ensure they remain able to handle all the stress you’ll continue to throw at them. The best way to do that is to retain flexibility and mobility in your feet and ankle joints. In today’s blog, we share some tips for maintaining or even improving your ankle and foot mobility.
How To Improve Ankle Flexibility
If you want to improve your ankle flexibility and become steadier on your feet, consider adding some of the following tips to your regular routine!
1. Exercise – Exercising is great for our whole body, but it can also help to improve our foot mobility. When you’re on your feet exercising, your ankle muscles are working hard to stabilize and support the area, which helps develop them and keep them strong.
2. Move More – If running or other typical exercise routines aren’t your jam, just make it a point to stand and move more throughout the day. Those same supportive muscles in your ankle are working hard when you’re just standing and doing normal movements, like walking around your house or taking the stairs at work. Find little ways to incorporate more movement and standing throughout your day.
3. PT Exercises – You can also take flexibility training one step further by performing some physical therapy exercises. Google “Ankle mobility exercises” or look for articles that show some helpful exercises that you can perform when you’re at home or sitting at your work desk to help improve range of motion in your ankles.
4. Yoga – Want to improve your ankle flexibility without feeling like you’re performing dedicated exercise? Consider joining a weekly yoga class. Yoga helps to expand flexibility in a number of different areas of your body, including your feet.
5. Swim – Finally, swimming is another great activity that can help to improve flexibility in your ankle. Due to water’s natural resistance, you’re developing your foot muscles with every kick and stroke, so spend some time in the pool swimming laps or simply treading water!
If you keep the above tips in mind and you sync up with a foot specialist if you have questions or concerns, we’re confident that you will have great mobility in your ankles for years to come. For more information or for help with your foot or ankle issue, reach out to Dr. Silverman’s office today at (952) 224-8500.
