Exercises to Do While Your Ankle Heals (2024)

FAQs

How can I exercise with a bad ankle? ›

Resisted ankle inversion

Hold both ends of an exercise band and loop the band around the inside of your affected foot. Then press your good foot against the band. Keeping your legs crossed, slowly push your affected foot against the band so that foot moves away from your good foot. Then slowly relax.

In fact, walking on the sprained ankle can actually improve recovery and stimulate stronger healing of the injured ligaments and tendons. One important thing to keep in mind is that ankle swelling can last 2-3 months after the injury, even if the pain has completely gone away.

While you might be able to walk on your sprained ankle, it will never completely heal if keep putting pressure on your ligaments. In addition to the usual symptoms, there may also be a bone bruise of a bone chip. Bone damage could take six to twelve weeks to heal, while ligament damage could take three to six months.

Examples include gentle exercises that get the heart pumping, such as swimming or riding a stationary bicycle or elliptical. These motions may not put as much strain on the ankle as other exercises, such as walking or jogging. Importantly, pay attention to any signs the ankle is sending.

Modify your push-ups to avoid putting any weight on the broken foot: Knee Push-Ups: Perform push-ups from your knees instead of your toes, keeping weight off your injured foot. Upper Body Lifts: Use a stable chair or bench to perform arm lifts and presses, which will help maintain upper body strength.

"The key sign of healing is stability with use — the patient's capacity to put weight on the ankle confidently — without pain or the sense that the ankle is 'giving away,'" explained Dr. Farber.

The rule of thumb is to return to running when you are pain-free, have full range of motion, and the strength in the injured ankle is equal to that in your uninjured side. With a mild sprain and a functionally protective brace, you can often return to running in a couple of weeks.

How do you sleep with a healing ankle? ›

When sleeping with a sprained ankle, you need to stock up on a couple of extra pillows. The pillows help to elevate the foot and improve blood flow. Also, they help to separate the feet and help to drain fluids and swelling. The goal is to elevate your injured foot over your heart if possible.

Exercise should not make your existing ankle pain worse overall. However, practicing new exercises can sometimes cause short term muscle pain as the body gets used to moving in new ways. This kind of pain should ease quickly and your pain should be no worse the morning after you've exercised.

Examples include gentle exercises that get the heart pumping, such as swimming or riding a stationary bicycle or elliptical. These motions may not put as much strain on the ankle as other exercises, such as walking or jogging. Importantly, pay attention to any signs the ankle is sending.

Using an elliptical or rowing machine. Using an elliptical or rowing machine is an excellent, nonweight-bearing way to get cardiovascular activity. Both of these activities can also help you burn calories and help you maintain your fitness level.

Machine workouts: Try any of several machines, such as a lateral pull down machine, leg curl machine, or chest press machine. These do not require the feet or ankle at all. Upper body workout: You can also add free weights to do certain workouts, such as seated body twists while holding free weights.