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Keeping Your Ankles Injury-Free
Ankle injuries are a seemingly constant plague of runners and other persons whose activities place excess stress on the ankle joints. Along with the knees, your ankles are responsible for supporting most of the weight of your body, so ankle injuries are more common than we would like to admit. To keep your ankles strong, and free from strains, sprains, and other injuries, try these exercises, designed to build ankle strength and flexibility.
The Alphabet Rotation
Try "writing" the letters of the alphabet with one foot then the other. (Your big toe is a "pen" and your ankle guides its movement.)
Manual Resistance
Have a friend hold onto your foot as you move it through its full range of motion (up and down, back and forth, and in circles).
Heel-Toe Walking
Walk quickly for 15 minutes, landing on your heel and rolling to your toe.
© 1989 PARLAY INTERNATIONAL
Keeping Your Knees Injury-Free
Weak or "trick" knees can be an active person's downfall. In fact, after back pain, knee problems are reported as the second most common physical complaint in this country. Like back problems, knee injuries are often a result of deconditioning (weak, inelastic muscles) or "week-end athlete syndrome" (chronic inactivity interrupted by spurts of athletic endeavor!) The best way to keep your knees injury-free is to exercise the muscles that support your knees; the quadriceps (front-of-thigh) and hamstring (back-of-thigh) muscles.
Knee Strengthener
Lie on your left side, and rest your head on your left arm. Keep your legs straight and use your right arm for support. To a count of ten, slowly lift your right leg. Slowly lower without touching the floor and repeat the sequence 10 times. Switch sides and repeat with opposite leg.
Knee Stretch
Sit and stretch left leg in front of you. Bend right leg so that your right foot rests against the inner side of your left thigh. With back flat, slowly bend toward your outstretched foot. Hold about 12 seconds. Return to starting position. Switch legs and repeat. Repeat 10 times.
© 1989 PARLAY INTERNATIONAL