A sprained ankle, Achilles tendonitis, or a fracture are all injuries that affect the ankle joint. These injuries can affect your life, including exercise and physical activity. While physical therapy helps the ankle and surrounding tissues, how do you tone and exercise the rest of the body?
There are still plenty of ways to incorporate physical activity, even with an ankle injury. Keeping the rest of your body moving and in shape can help you heal faster and feel better by fighting inflammation and stiffness.
Marque A. Allen, DPM, FACFAS, and the Sports Medicine Associates of San Antonio team have experience treating ankle and foot injuries, including high ankle sprains. Dr. Allen is a board-certified podiatrist who provides treatments for ankle injuries and tips to get you back on your feet as soon as possible.
Ankle injuries happen when any of the tissues within the ankle joint stretch beyond their average capacity or the bone breaks. You can also have wear and tear injuries, including Achilles tendonitis and arthritis.
Ankle injuries can be acute, sudden, or chronic from overuse and wear over time. Acute injuries may include any of the following:
Chronic injuries typically happen from acute injuries that don't heal properly or from wear to the ankle, causing arthritis and chronic instability. The type of ankle injury determines what kind of treatment you need and how long it takes to heal.
Physical therapy and rehabilitative exercise are critical factors in healing from an ankle injury. The injury needs a few days to reduce swelling and begin the healing process. Still, after that, you should start a therapy program to regain function in the joint.
Physical therapy helps you improve balance, range of motion, and strength after an injury. There are different exercises we suggest during treatment to improve pain and movement in the affected ankle, including:
Each exercise focuses on strength, balance, or range of motion. These are key concepts in allowing an ankle injury, like a sprain, to heal properly.
It's essential to protect your ankle while you perform these stretches and activities. Dr. Allen may ask you to wear an ankle brace or stability bandage to keep the ankle from moving too much, which could prevent it from healing properly.
Living an active lifestyle can be challenging when you have an ankle injury, especially if it's serious. Still, you don't have to stop exercising. Exercise is a great way to help your ankle heal by maintaining weight and bringing blood to the injury.
Running and walking long distances are out of the question with an ankle injury, but you have other options. Focus on other areas of the body to perform cardio and strength to stay active. Some tips we recommend for exercise include:
Your core is the epitome of health. It helps you maintain posture while improving every movement you make — and the best part is you can do most core exercises on your back. Core exercises keep weight off the ankle while strengthening the abdominal muscles for the ultimate physique.
Although running and jumping activities are a no-go with an ankle injury, you can still do cardio in other ways. For instance, you can carefully ride a stationary bike or swim to get your heart rate up and the blood circulating throughout the body.
Using free weights while lying down or on a weight bench improves your strength without putting extra pressure on the injured ankle. For an exercise circuit that you can enjoy, try using free weights to perform bench presses, tricep kickbacks, and bicep curls.
Yoga and Pilates are low-impact exercises that strengthen the entire body but watch out for your ankle. Dr. Allen provides information on safe exercise techniques, including yoga and Pilates poses.
The main goal of exercising with an injured ankle is to avoid strain or re-injuring the joint. Talk to Dr. Allen about safe ways to incorporate physical activity during healing.
If you have an ankle injury and need help staying active, don't hesitate to call one of our offices in the San Antonio, Texas, area today or request a consultation on our website.
