Ankle sprain preventing exercises

[The_Martinator]

Ok, so I've sprained my ankle again. I think it's 2-2 now (twice the left, twice the right).

So while I'm cooling it off with an ice pack, I'm open for suggestions on what to do to prevent future sprains. I know the exercise where you stand at the end of a stair on your finger and go up and down etc. I've also been running on my toes a lot (not for miles, but for portions of my 3-5 mile runs twice a week).

Any other suggestions?

[Barbarossa]

Yeah, stop doing so much exercise, you nutter :pinch:

[The_Martinator]

Yeah, stop doing so much exercise, you nutter :pinch:

I really do hope you're healthy.

In my case the exercise is meant to be relaxing. I truly enjoy playing basketball, "I love this game applies to me", because I don't play it for money. If I start seeing and feeling low blows, I just go play somewhere else.

If you don't have sports in your life, you're missing out and your mental ability is not as good as it could have been, believe me. It doesn't have to be rpo sports, just something to get the blood flowing. :P

[Barbarossa]

Yeah, stop doing so much exercise, you nutter :pinch:

I really do hope you're healthy.

...says the guy with the dodgy ankles :whistling

Oh, and my mental ability is just fine, thanks. I'll pit my wits against anybody, whether they play sports or not...

[IdolEyes787]

If the injuries are happening from normal use you're flirting with having it turn into a serious,long-term problem . Your ligaments may be starting to scar to the point of weakening, meaning you will have increased the risk of something like this reoccurring .
First thing is give make sure you give it enough time to heal and them start doing some strengthening exercises for the stabilizing muscles.
If you insist on continuing the running make sure you get fitted with the proper ( and correctly sized) footwear and tape your ankle(s) to increase stability.

[1000possibleclaws]

How are you spraining them? Make sure you are wearing decent shoes. The times I've sprained my ankles, I was either in loose skater shoes, or umm.. those might've been the only times I can't think of any other lol

[The_Martinator]

If the injuries are happening from normal use you're flirting with having it turn into a serious,long-term problem . Your ligaments may be starting to scar to the point of weakening, meaning you will have increased the risk of something like this reoccurring .
First thing is give make sure you give it enough time to heal and them start doing some strengthening exercises for the stabilizing muscles.
If you insist on continuing the running make sure you get fitted with the proper ( and correctly sized) footwear and tape your ankle(s) to increase stability.

Well, yeah, the shoes are getting old and I've been meaning to get new ones.

And it's not from normal use, it was during a drive to the hoop and it was not only my weight it was also part of the guy guarding me. Fact is I went for a longer run the day before and I prolly hadn't recovered from it fully yet as I felt I was a little tired. It's not like I sprain my ankle every month, it's every half a year, usually when I'm tired and keep on playing. That's why I'm looking for suggestions about exercises.

@Barbarossa
It's good to know that you get good use of your wits. I can't find anything good to do with mine (or lack thereof). :unsure:

TrueSounds, my ankles start hurting when I see skater shoes, that stuff is dangerous.

[Albo Da Kid]

3-5 miles runs twice a week is great for your health. Running on your toes is great for your calves as well, I suggest you keep doing it every once in a while.

I sprained my ankle while running once and I was told to let it rest for a few days. You should be alright and fully healed in about a week or two just make sure you get some rest so it could heal properly.

[sez]

If they are happening on the court then you are probably using the wrong shoes.The wider the better.

[pimpmupppet]

Ok, so I've sprained my ankle again. I think it's 2-2 now (twice the left, twice the right).

So while I'm cooling it off with an ice pack, I'm open for suggestions on what to do to prevent future sprains. I know the exercise where you stand at the end of a stair on your finger and go up and down etc. I've also been running on my toes a lot (not for miles, but for portions of my 3-5 mile runs twice a week).

Any other suggestions?

when you wake up try stretching out your ankles by rolling them back and forth. do this all the time.

[IdolEyes787]

And it's not from normal use, it was during a drive to the hoop and it was not only my weight it was also part of the guy guarding me.

I know it will be a life style adjustment but I suggest you stop having guys get on top of you.

On a less serious note ,what happened was known as an accident and short of lying in bed all day you can't really do anything to guard against them putz.
Of course as spastic as you are you would probably still end up dislocating something.

On an even less serious note proper warm-up , strengthening and stretching greatly reduces the chance of athletic injury


unless you're a race car driver.

[The_Martinator]

Ok, so I've sprained my ankle again. I think it's 2-2 now (twice the left, twice the right).

So while I'm cooling it off with an ice pack, I'm open for suggestions on what to do to prevent future sprains. I know the exercise where you stand at the end of a stair on your finger and go up and down etc. I've also been running on my toes a lot (not for miles, but for portions of my 3-5 mile runs twice a week).

Any other suggestions?

when you wake up try stretching out your ankles by rolling them back and forth. do this all the time.

I tend to do that subconsciously most of the time. Even during classes.

Idol, know any good streching exercises especially for ankles? I sort of have a routine (if I don't strech then my back hurts, when I do there's nothing), but nothing that seems to really focus on ankles.

[IdolEyes787]

http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/AnkleEx.htm

(http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/AnkleEx.htm):idunno: (http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/AnkleEx.htm)

(http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/AnkleEx.htm)You can also stretch your ankles while doing hamstring stretches by gently pulling with your hands since you should be flexing your foot toward your body anyway and get the opposing stretch in the hero pose( http://www.staryoga.com/reclining-hero-stretch).Also during calf raises if you are doing them on a block or similarly raised surface.

(http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/AnkleEx.htm)Basically though the only thing I've ever run across( no pun intended) specifically for ankles is stand on one foot flex your foot out( point toes)10x, flex your foot in 10x, circle out 10x ,circle in 10x ,Change feet.Just like the first link says.

(http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/AnkleEx.htm)You're an idiot if you don't stretch though because besides increasing range of motion and reducing the risk of injury , if you are training hard stretching ( by increasing circulation) also promotes recovery.
(http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/AnkleEx.htm)Just always ease into stretches ,never stretch to the point of pain ( you're contracting then so it's pointless anyway) and breathe fully and regularly during the stretch ( think therapeutic).
(http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/AnkleEx.htm)
If you find that stretching doesn't help maybe you have a body imbalance which yoga :Omight fix or if it's something structural like leg length discrepancy - orthotics

[IdolEyes787]

Running on your toes is great for your calves as well, I suggest you keep doing it every once in a while.



How a person foot strikes the ground while running is determined by a bunch of factors including physiology ,speed and terrain.
Some people are heel strikers ,some have a natural tendency to land flat-footed and some ( not many ) naturally run "on their toes " .
Better shoes are designed around these differences as well tendencies to pronate/supinate and vaying degrees of arch height.
Anytime you stray from your natural motion you should exercise extreme caution since you are working against the way you were built.For those not "built ' for it prolonged toe running will lead to serious shin splints if not a lot worse. If you aren't a natural limit running on your toes to the sprints.
If you want better calves do calf raises or plyometrics .Calf raises will give the most size but plyometrics are great for explosive sports especially those like b-ball that require jumping.
Again though here we are talking extremely high impact so use caution.

[Biggles]

Running on your toes is great for your calves as well, I suggest you keep doing it every once in a while.



How a person foot strikes the ground while running is determined by a bunch of factors including physiology ,speed and terrain.


i.e. weigh 360kg

[The_Martinator]

I found that first one too, Idol, and have tried it out. My ankle already feels more stable. The good thing is that I've also found some warm up ankle streching exercises.

I don't know if I should even try the yoga one. I terrible at that stuff, but you sure do feel better afterwards. I do know this, I can't do the exercise on that pic, lol.

[Albo Da Kid]

How a person foot strikes the ground while running is determined by a bunch of factors including physiology ,speed and terrain.
Some people are heel strikers ,some have a natural tendency to land flat-footed and some ( not many ) naturally run "on their toes " .
Better shoes are designed around these differences as well tendencies to pronate/supinate and vaying degrees of arch height.
Anytime you stray from your natural motion you should exercise extreme caution since you are working against the way you were built.For those not "built ' for it prolonged toe running will lead to serious shin splints if not a lot worse. If you aren't a natural limit running on your toes to the sprints.
If you want better calves do calf raises or plyometrics .Calf raises will give the most size but plyometrics are great for explosive sports especially those like b-ball that require jumping.
Again though here we are talking extremely high impact so use caution.
Its impresive how much you know about sports and workouts. I didnt know all this stuff but from my experience I felt my calves hurting more than usual everytime I would run hills or do short sprints on my toes.

[IdolEyes787]

Been exercising in one way or another for a long ,long time so if nothing else I've absorbed stuff through osmosis.
As for the shoe bit I'm a bad over-supinator due to a leg length discrepancy myself and since I used to run a lot for off-season training, it was knowledge from necessity.
If you do a bit of research ,which is easy on the web now as opposed to the hoops I had to go though back in the day to find it out , you will see the differences in shoe lasts and how getting the right shaped one to fit your foot not only better protects you from injury but also makes you a more efficient and powerful runner.
Actually running (especially on pavement) for a long period is a very un-natural thing to do and personally unless there is some hot babe that you are doing it with I don't recommend it.
That said you learn by doing and although everything I said holds true for me it could very well not apply to you.
Do what you enjoy and gives you a feeling of accomplishment and the fuck with anything else.

[The_Martinator]

Actually running (especially on pavement) for a long period is a very un-natural thing to do and personally unless there is some hot babe that you are doing it with I don't recommend it.


It's a good thing I live in the country. I go through a forest and over a few fields, by the river, etc. There are no pavements, just a few hundred meters on the road.

And yeah, the shoes are important. My father runs half marathons and such, so I had help choosing the shoe. I'm an over supinator too and when I'm tired I tend to bend my ankle a little more. If it's during runing, you can concentrate so that you don't twist the ankle, but if it's during basketball, you're worried about the ball and where your teammates are...


Hey Albo, now that you're a local sports star, does everyone congratulate you and offer you vegetables when you go for a run, Rocky style? :P

[Albo Da Kid]

Hey Albo, now that you're a local sports star, does everyone congratulate you and offer you vegetables when you go for a run, Rocky style? :P
haha no but I did get some of my old friends interested in boxing and get asked a lot of questions by my friends who don't know how to fight to teach them some moves. It makes me feel cool sometimes.

[The_Martinator]

Hey Albo, now that you're a local sports star, does everyone congratulate you and offer you vegetables when you go for a run, Rocky style? :P
haha no but I did get some of my old friends interested in boxing and get asked a lot of questions by my friends who don't know how to fight to teach them some moves. It makes me feel cool sometimes.

That's one of the good things of being a pro (I'm guessing here). Next thing you know these "old friends" will be picking fights with people so you can "train". :lol:

Update: went for a run yesterday, the ankle held its ground. But I'm not comfortable playing ball yet (movement to the side still hurts a little), so just shooting practice today, lol.

[hotstuff]

yeah just make sure it prevents you from over eating and all will be well