The ballerina spends a great deal of time on her toes, an activity that, without proper exercise, can put her ankles at risk for injury. Ankle exercise, including stretching and strengthening moves, is extremely important in the prevention of ankle injuries. In the March 2005 issue of “British Journal of Sports Medicine,” most people who experience ankle sprains are shown to have long-term symptoms post-injury. As such, taking measures to prevent injuries from happening in the first place with effective ankle exercises is crucial.
Flexibility Exercise
Proper flexibility is necessary to allow for full range of motion of the ankle. Calf stretches are particularly important in ballet, as the dancer spends such a great deal of time on her toes, making the calf tight. This can negatively affect the strength and range of motion required to perform the necessary moves. Stretching exercises can and should include the arch of the foot, as the ankle muscles and tendons support this area. Stretching of the actual ankle joint should be avoided as this can stretch or loosen the supporting ligaments.
Strengthening Exercise
Although the most common injury to the ankle is inversion, or rolling the ankle to the outside, it is important to build strength in each direction. Eversion exercises involve moving the ankle inward, and the foot outward. Plantar flexion is pointing your toes and dorsiflexion is pulling your toes up toward you. Each of these motions can be addressed with the following exercises. Writing the alphabet in the air, leading with the big toe while keeping your lower leg still is a very basic ankle-strengthening exercise. This exercise also strengthens the inner arch, which is often stressed in dancing. Another simple strengthening exercise is the towel scrunch. Put a towel flat on the floor, and scrunch it toward you with your toes. Resistance band exercises are an excellent way to provide resistance in all four directions, creating strength while maintaining range of motion. Calf raises are also extremely effective for ankle strengthening and can be done anywhere and anytime. Begin with both feet at the same time and progress to single-foot calf raises. Using a partner to provide resistance through each ankle motion is a beneficial and effective exercise as well.
Proprioception Exercise
Proprioception is the ability of the body to know where it is in space. This is often overlooked, but it is a key part of ankle-strengthening exercise. To create a good sense of proprioception, balance training is necessary. Balance training should include activities like balancing on one foot with your eyes both open and closed. Catching a ball while balancing is a fun way to work on proprioception. Having the ball thrown high and low, as well as to the right and left of the body, creates a natural core stability activity. Balance boards, discs and other proprioceptive specific training equipment can be used as well. Activities from your daily life, like putting your shoes on while balancing on one foot, is a great way to implement proprioceptive activity into your life. Dancers have natural balance training worked into their every day exercise program, which is beneficial to the strength of the ankle. If they develop an injury, they will need to retrain the proprioceptive ability of their ankles as these indicators are lost with injury.
