Ankle Stretch

Ankle stretching is an important part of your elderly and senior lower body flexibility routine. Your ankle should be able to bend up and down easily. This exercise helps the downward movement of your ankle.

This will help in standing up from a chair as well as  walking.Spend a few moments a day working on your ankle flexibility for better balance and function. It doesn’t take much to lose the strength in your legs and especially your ankles.

If you are sick for a few days you will certainly notice a decrease in your leg strength. This will set you up for ankle weakness leading to stumbling and possibly a fall. Make sure you work on your leg strength as often as you can. Get your daily 30 minutes of exercise!

Purpose of this exercise

Helps maintain good ankle flexibility which will assist with walking and standing.

Also helps with knee and hip stiffness.

Step 1

Sit on the front edge of a chair.The chair should have an unobstructed underneath section.Bring your right foot under the chair.

Step 2

Gently push down on your foot until a stretch is felt.Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.Then repeat with the left foot.

Breathing

Breath normally, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Tips

Sit tall in the chair. Think about pointing your toes backward and straightening your ankle as much as possible.

Take it up a notch

To stretch the thigh, bring your leg to the outside of the chair to allow the hip to go further back.

How to do Ankle Stretch

More Lower Body Stretches

1. Seated Lifts

• Improve the range of motion in your hips and legs.
• Help stabilize  your low back and pelvis.
• Learn what is flexibility.

2. Standing Quadriceps Stretch

• Will improve your hip and knee range of motion with these exercises to increase flexibility.
• Can improve your standing posture by allowing you to stand up straighter.

3. Back Stretch

• Improves the range of motion in your spine and trunk with lower back stretching.
• Increases your ability to bend and reach low or high.

4. Inner Thigh  Stretch

• Improve your hip and thigh range of motion with stretching legs exercises.
• Increase your functional ability in standing, walking and stepping.

5. Calf Stretch

• Targets the flexibility of your calf muscle and heel cord with calf muscle stretches.
• Increases your ability to straighten your knee

6. Hip Side Stretch

• This is a good stretch for the side hip area.
• Improve the range of motion of our hips.
• These stretching techniques also can help with balance.

7.  Hip Rotation Stretch

• Increase the range of motion of your hips with these flexibility stretches.
• Improve the functional use of your legs as in getting out of a car or stepping over the side of your bath tub.

8. Soleus Stretch

• Increases the flexibility of the deep calf muscle with flexibility stretching exercises.
• Generally improves your lower body flexibility and functional use of your legs.

9. Ankle Circles

• Improve the range of motion of the ankle and foot with warming up stretching.
• Can help with ankle swelling.

10. Hamstring Stretch

• Increases your ability to lean forward and reach your feet with hamstring stretching.
• Improves the flexibility of your low back and legs.

11. Knee To Chest

• Stretches your knee and hip joints with flexibility importance exercises.
• Improves low back flexibility.

12. Ankle Stretch

• Helps maintain good ankle flexibility which will assist with walking and standing with ankle stretching exercises.
• Also helps with knee and hip stiffness.

Resources Stay Independent
https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/STEADI-Brochure-StayIndependent-508.pdf