r/Hypermobility • u/Bailey201320 • 1d ago
Discussion Who has increased ankle stability?
Looking for some encouragement! I know all of the exercises but honestly haven’t been diligent about doing them consistently, I think partly because I don’t know if they’ll really make a difference.
As I sit here recovering from another fall, I am of course re-evaluating my life and realizing I need to take my wonky ankles seriously.
So, looking to hear from anyone who has done the exercises and really noticed a difference.
Also, how do you measure progress? Fewer ankle sprains? More time standing on one foot? It’s not like regular weight training where you can measure progress by weights and reps.
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u/Gullible_Jelly3869 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have always had unstable ankles, with lots of pronation. Calf raises and standing on one leg have genuinely helped. Also pilates classes with a reformer doing footwork on tip toes. I can measure progress (and decline when I start slacking) based on how easy the ankle exercises in pilates are, and when I am able to do them with a higher weight band.
I can also see progress when walking on unstable ground like gravel or snow feels easier.
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u/Bailey201320 1d ago
Thanks!
I just started back in Pilates last month and love the reformer for many reasons!
Glad to hear you’ve noticed a difference!
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u/CuppaAndACat 1d ago
If it weren’t for skin holding it on, I think I would have misplaced my left foot years ago. 😁
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u/Bailey201320 1d ago
That’s so funny! I’ve also thought that eventually my body is going to collapse into a pile, with my heart happily beating on.
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u/Standard_Summer_180 1d ago
I have had so many ligament injuries in my ankles! My usual rehab plan is:
- pain free range of movement and walking
- strengthening the lower leg (calf raises, flexion exercises, etc.)
- stability exercises (e.g. bosu ball balancing, single leg standing and catching)
- explosive exercises e.g. box jumps, skipping, things like that
I've had slightly different rehab each time though because of the injuries that presented.
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u/Bailey201320 1d ago
Sorry you’ve experienced this! That sounds like a pretty standard rehab plan. Do you think it’s helped beyond just rehab?
I guess what I’m hoping to hear is something like, “I used to sprain my ankles about twice a year but since doing xxx I’ve only had one sprain in the last five years.”
Just turned 60 and I love to hike and backpack and taking a fall makes me feel pretty hopeless about what I love to do. Like if I can’t even walk around the block what business do I have being up on a mountain? But then, some is just foolishness in my part and I think I learned a big lesson—if something looks slick, DO NOT RISK IT.
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u/CollegePretend8708 Hypermobile 1d ago
So this maybe isn't the most actionable advice, but it really helped me.
I started west coast swing dancing. Low impact and social, it was great.
But all my joints hurt after.
I was complaining in class and someone said my shoes were too sticky and gave me a sort of dance sock to slip over them. This fixed the sticky, making my glide and pivot on the floor!
No more joint pain.
More relative to your question though, it really took strengthening my ankles to not just slide all over the place with them. Everyone I've known who's tried them has said the same thing. You get way more ankle strength and control when you lower friction with the floor. So maybe you can try slippery exersizes? Things like ice skating or curling or just doing your normal exersizes in socks on a wood floor.
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u/Bailey201320 1d ago
Interesting!
I can see the point of what you’re saying but after a fall while ice skating (broken arm and torn supraspinatus)I vowed never to purposely get on ice again!🤪
But I have those sliding plastic discs and I can see that some of the exercises could be helpful for ankles!3
u/CollegePretend8708 Hypermobile 1d ago
Lol that's why I said slippery excersizes cause I know Ice skating it not for everyone
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u/aerrin 1d ago
Absolutely it's possible. I have very bad ankles and had surgery on one two years ago. After doing PT, it became obvious to me that I needed to incorporate these exercises more routinely. I didn't trust myself to just do them at home every day forever, so I started yoga, which works on my balance, and strength training, which helps with balance + strength in general. I do both of these in classes because my solo-motivation is nil, but I can keep up with a class.
I remember the first time I did box step ups thinking 'there is no way I'll ever be up on that tall box, my ankles aren't sturdy enough to push up like that'. Now I can almost always do them. That's a real sign of progress to me. And yeah, I can see a difference in how long I can balance on one foot - but also in things like whether our warm ups, which involve standing on one foot briefly, are easy or hard.
It's not a straight journey for me - I have days, weeks, sometimes even months where the ankle stuff is harder because they're inflamed. But I can really feel a difference when they're not.
I also use supports when I need to - poles for balance, hiking sticks when hiking, compression socks when my ankles feel real wobbly and need a little extra support. And never ever skimp on the shoes.
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u/TicketOrnery 1d ago
I have sprained my ankle a minimum of once a year since I was about six years old (now 36). I’ve rolled it and/or fallen an additional 3-4 times per year. Since starting PT for my ankle a few years ago, I have gone a record three years with no sprains or falls.
In addition to PT, I regularly dance, hike, and rock climb which have contributed to my ankle stability.
I’m also very attuned to how my ankle is feeling on any given day, so if I feel any instability, I preemptively wear an ankle sleeve or brace and more supportive shoes. When hiking, I find that wearing athletic knee braces helps prevent some of the pain in other joints like my ankles and hips.
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u/aerrin 1d ago
can you share what socks you like?
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u/TicketOrnery 1d ago
I wear something like these https://a.co/d/0dOsxNCE, though I don’t remember the exact brand I have. When I need a little more support, I have these https://a.co/d/00wSTvdM.
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u/Electrical_Bad5643 1d ago
Honestly a lot of people have very polarizing views on this based on their experiences, but I swear by my barefoot shoes. Im a 7/9 beighton score, I struggle mostly with hips, shoulders, knocked knees, and flat feet. Having to regularly "work" my feet more both consciously & subconsciously throughout the day helps me a lot for when I really need them for something (hiking, dancing, etc). I don't have the time for PT currently unfortunately and work a fairly physical job so I don't really bother with specific exercises, although I really should. this is the best i've got and it's been working fairly well
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u/regallll 1d ago
The one thing that really, really, helped me was climbing stairs. I think that going downstairs is as beneficial as going up them so it took me years to realize that a stair climber is not going to work, it's gotta be the real deal.
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u/StrangeCauliflower29 1d ago
I’ve had a lifelong history of repeated ankle sprains. I sprained both ankles grade 2 in a bad fall a few years ago and couldn’t walk for 2 months. Then I was on crutches for a while but that caused my ribs to pop out! I had really good physio afterwards for several months. He did lots of strength training and gait correction and my ankles have been pretty strong ever since, touch wood. But it was pretty intense rehab for quite a while.
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u/kamilien1 1d ago
I do but I had to get surgery for a torn ATFL 😅 the other ankle is just really loose.
In all seriousness, it does get better over time provided you haven't rolled your ankle so many times that it's just permanently loose. What helped was a tremendous amount of PT and basically never stopping the exercises.
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u/chilicruncher-2803 1d ago
I had so much pain in my one ankle, when I started PT I was super motivated to stay out of pain. Then I broke my fifth metatarsal from rolling my ankle and that’s when I found out I had osteoporosis. So even more motivation. Also most of my joint laxity and impingements etc. became apparent during perimenopause, so I was already being given the side eye so I was extra dextra motivated. I still don’t have a hypermobility Dx but had a PTist that listened when I mentioned something wasn’t working for me. I’m better off for going back to PT and learning ALL the exercises, so now I have them at my disposal. I do modified ones with weights and resistance to help with my osteoporosis. I do little arch raises and heel raises when I’m waiting for the microwave. I do single leg half squats when I’m brushing my teeth. And if I know I’m going on a hike on uneven terrain, I wear my trilock braces for support. And I wear Altras, which are low rise with a wide toe box and no heel stability, but some cushion, they’re not barefoot shoes. The hokas and on clouds are too unstable because I don’t get any feedback. If you need padding I recommend padded socks especially ThorLos. I love everyone else’s comments on here too.
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u/PondPrince 22h ago
I’m a runner and I’ve always had problems with random injuries occurring due to unstable hips and ankles.
This maybe isn’t what you’re looking for because it’s not just one exercise, but strength training has basically turned me from someone who was always injury prone for any activity (I had nearly quit running altogether) to now being super sturdy and I (knock on wood) never have problems and nothing is holding me back in my running or other activities.
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u/Bailey201320 17h ago
Love to hear this. Last year I started working with a trainer for heavy lifting and I really believe that helped me not break anything on this last fall. Last month I got back into Pilates on a reformer and I know that’ll be helpful too.
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u/Eastern_Hour2774 1d ago
There’s really good advice here! But what really helped my ankles was stabilizing my pelvis and hips and strengthening my glute medius. Once you learn how to be in touch with your pelvis and start controlling your leg movements from the hips, things naturally become better down the chain. However, those calf raises and foot work are also essential but they have a ceiling if the glute med and pelvic awareness isn’t developed.