Read 30 times since Thursday, October 27, 2011
It is all too common that a runner, skater, gymnast or just about any athlete of any kind sprains their ankle. So we stay off it for a few days, and right when we get back to it we notice our ankle sprains all over again.
The problem is called proprioception; it is when you tear a ligament in your ankle and the nerves that run through your foot can't do their job properly. Those nerves are going to tell your body where your foot is, but when the nerves are damaged you don't know and may be liable to sprain you ankle all over again.
So what you have to do is train your nerves and ligaments. This means you are going to have to put the running shoes, skates, or whatever it is down for a bit.
You are going to want to stretch your ankles as much as you can. Abduction is the best way to create lean strong muscles, and it is going to help tons with recovering.
The real secret to recovering from proprioception is balance exercise. You can't very well try standing on your toes, because you are liable to just bend at the ankle and sprain it all over again.
So you get one of those indo-boards or a balance board either will work. The balance board will work a bit better just because you have more range of motion.
If you are not familiar with these they are basically boards placed on a fulcrum meant to be stood and balanced upon. This may sound like a silly way to retrain your ankle (which you just busted), but it really is the most effective and fastest way to regain control of your foot and ankle.
By standing on the balance board you are constantly shifting your weight to maintain control. If you do this enough you will eventually train your ankle to react fast enough to not turn over while practicing your sport.
Remember to stretch daily and then the balance board daily as well. After about a week if you are feeling up to it start back in your sport, but take it easy because your foot is still going to be fragile at this point.
Other things like yoga and Pilates will actually help to increase control and balance throughout your body as well, which will increase reaction time and hopefully prevent you from getting any more ankle injuries.
Ankle sprains are the most common problem for athletes, but barely anyone knows how to recover from it. Take what you have learned and pass it on. Destry Masterson is a fitness expert who publishes articles about treadmills such as http://www.nordictrackcoupons.com and many others, she recommends them for your exercise equipment needs.
Contact Info:
Destry Masterson - MyOnlineArticleWriting@gmail.com - Twitter: @DestryMasterson
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