Strong ankles prevent injuries
Yoga
Lee Kennedy
One of the most common injuries experienced by athletes is a twisted or sprained ankle. Ankles can also become considerably ‘tight’ in the front. Cyclists, runners, and gaelic footballers, for example, tend to overwork their shins, causing the muscles in the front of the ankle and the top of the foot to tighten.
As strong and supple feet and ankles are a vital component to disciplines like running, climbing, surfing, football and dancing, many of these participants are relying on a wide range of high-tech footgear to provide them with some ankle support. However, a little bit of old-fashioned yoga can go a long way toward building strong feet and ankles. Crucially, yoga can ensure that strength that is developed equally in both ankles, which in turn can help prevent some of these sprains.
Reverse Plank Pose
Purvottanasana (Reverse Plank Pose) is a pose that stretches the entire front of the body and offers specific attention to the ankles, helping to build equal strength in the ankles and promotes strong flexibility. It also engages all the toes. Through yoga, you can learn to separate all the toes equally apart and move every single toe individually – quite the party trick!
- Sit on the floor on a yoga mat, with the legs outstretched.
- Have the palms placed on the floor behind the hips, fingers pointing towards the direction of your body.
- Bend the knees, keeping soles and heels on the ground, turning the big toes in slightly. Begin to lean into the palms.
- Inhale and lean back into the arms, using them to lift the hips up toward the ceiling.
- Straighten the arms and legs and keep the elbows and knees tight.
- As the hips lift, engage the legs by pulling up the knee caps and squeezing the thighs.
- Press the soles of the feet flat down into the floor, and gently contract the buttocks.
- The arms will now be perpendicular to the floor from the wrist to the shoulder and the trunk will be parallel to the floor from the shoulders to the pelvis.
- If it feels safe you can drop the head all the way back.
- Breathe and hold for 2-4 breaths.
- To release, slowly exhale the hips back to the floor.
Lee Kennedy qualified with The BKS Iyengar Yoga Association UK, the YTTC and Ana Forrest of Forrest Yoga. She specialises in pregnancy-related yoga and can be contacted at 086 3906343.
