Ankle sprains mean weeks of crutches and missed workouts. Even once you heal, weakness and instability can linger in your ankle joint.
Ankle rehabilitation exercises are a crucial part of getting your ankle back in fighting shape. Instead of jumping back into training, follow a structured plan to restore function, prevent reinjury, and keep you healthy in the long run.
Learn why strength, mobility, and balance are key to ankle recovery, plus 10 simple ankle rehab exercises to speed up your recovery.
How Do You Rehab an Ankle?
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) is usually the go-to treatment for ankle sprains, but what happens after the sprain heals?
An ankle sprain can heal in a few weeks to three months, but you still need to rehab the injured muscles and tendons. Rehab is a must because it rebuilds strength, increases range of motion, and stabilizes the joint.
Ankle rehab focuses on three things: the muscles around the calf, shin muscles, and the plantar fascia on the bottom of your foot. To cover your bases, you need a complete ankle rehab plan that addresses:
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Mobility: Many injured ankles lose their range of motion. After all, if you don’t use it, you lose it. You need ankle rehab exercises to regain mobility in your ankle.
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Strength: The ankle is one of the hardest areas to strengthen, but it’s possible to rebuild the muscles around the joint and offer more support for your tendons.
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Balance: Injured ankles can compromise your balance, increasing the risk of reinjury. It takes time, but stabilizing the ankle will improve your sense of balance.
Ankle rehab won’t happen overnight. Most people need to do ankle rehabilitation exercises three to five days a week for four to six weeks. As always, it's critical to run this plan past your doctor or physical therapist.
10 Best Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises
Before trying these exercises, start with a short warm-up. To increase blood flow, go with something low-impact, like a short walk. Listen to your body while doing these exercises and stop immediately if you feel pain.
1. Calf Raises
Your calf muscles run all the way down your leg, so strengthening your calves can also provide more support for your ankles. Calf raises are great for building strength, but they can also improve your range of motion over time.
We recommend starting with both legs at first. Once you build up some strength and balance, you can progress to single-leg calf raises, which add body weight to this ankle rehabilitation exercise.
To do this exercise:
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Stand with your feet hip-width apart
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Steadily lift your heels off the ground and rise onto your toes. Hold for two seconds.
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Slowly lower back down.
2. Tib Raises
The tibialis anterior muscle in your shin is a crucial muscle that supports the joint and prevents future injury. Tib raises not only strengthen this muscle, but they also stretch and strengthen the fascia on the bottom of your foot.
To do this exercise:
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Stand with your back against a wall.
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Bring your weight into your heels and lift your toes upward. Hold for two seconds.
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Slowly lower back down.
3. Ankle Inversion and Eversion
With ankle inversion and eversion, you’re working to strengthen the small but essential muscles inside and outside your ankle. You’ll need a band and a chair or a workout bench for this exercise. The Speediance Gym Monster 2 offers plenty of support, not to mention a complete system for working your arms while your ankle is out of commission.
To do this exercise:
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Sit on a bench or chair next to a wall. Place a resistance band around your foot.
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Start with the inversion movement, where you push your foot inward. Movement should come from the foot, not the knee or hip.
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For ankle eversion, reverse the movement to slowly push your foot outward.
4. Single-Leg RDL
A single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) can be difficult if you’re still in the early days of recovery, so you may need to hold off on this for a few weeks. Still, it’s one of the most effective ankle rehabilitation exercises for improving strength, mobility, and balance simultaneously. You don’t need weights for this, but you can incorporate them later when you’re feeling stronger.
To do this exercise:
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Start with your legs hip-width apart.
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Slowly shift your weight into one leg.
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Hinge forward at your hip and extend your other leg behind you. Engage your core for stability and try to keep your back straight.
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Steadily hinge back and bring your lifted foot back down. Repeat on the other side.
5. Reverse Lunge
Reverse lunges work multiple muscle groups, including calves, quads, and glutes. They strengthen the leg muscles that support your ankle and improve ankle stability over time.
To do this exercise:
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Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
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Step backwards with one leg and land on the ball of your foot. Bend that knee into a lunge, keeping most of the weight in your front foot. Make sure your front knee is right over your ankle at a 90-degree angle.
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Use your front leg to push yourself back up. Repeat on the other side.
6. Ankle Alphabet
The ankle alphabet is a simple exercise you can do lying in bed, at the office, or even while sitting on the couch. This ankle rehabilitation exercise primarily focuses on mobility.
To do this exercise:
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Sit or lie down comfortably.
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Extend one leg and draw the alphabet in the air with your foot, one letter at a time. Make sure your foot is completely off the ground.
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Repeat on the other side.
7. Seated Calf Stretch
A seated calf stretch improves mobility in the calf muscles and Achilles tendon. You can use a towel or a resistance band for this exercise.
To do this exercise:
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Sit on the floor with your legs out straight.
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Reach toward your feet and hold them with both hands; use a band if it helps.
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Gently pull on until you feel a stretch. Hold this position for at least 15 seconds.
If you feel too much sensation stretching both legs at the same time, try one-legged calf stretches.
8. Heel Cord Stretch
The Achilles tendon is also called the heel cord. With this stretch, you’re targeting both your Achilles and the muscles in your calf.
To do this exercise:
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Face a wall and put one foot in front of the other. Your front leg should have a slight bend at the knee, and your back heel should stay flat on the ground.
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Lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back leg. Hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds before repeating it on the other side.
9. Golf Ball Roll
Golf ball rolls target the plantar fascia on the bottom of your foot, which supports your ankle. You’ll need a golf ball, lacrosse ball, or similarly-sized round object for this exercise.
To do this exercise:
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Sit on your bench for stability.
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Place the ball under the arch of your foot.
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Slowly roll the ball from your heel to your toes. Do this for up to two minutes and then repeat the exercise on the other side.
If this exercise creates too much sensation, you can also use your hands to self-massage your fascia. However, remember it won’t give you as intense a stretch as a golf ball.
10. Towel Curls
This ankle rehabilitation exercise might seem silly initially, but it’s one of the best ways to strengthen the small muscles in your foot that support your ankle.
To do this exercise:
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Sit on a chair and place a towel flat under your foot.
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Use your toes to scrunch up the towel, then push the towel back into place.
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Do this 10 times before repeating on the other foot.
The Benefits of Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises
Strong ankles are essential for running and weight lifting, but they're also crucial for everyday activities like walking, driving, and playing with your kids. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or just want more stability, ankle rehabilitation exercises have many benefits.
1. Prevent Injury (or Reinjury)
Ankle sprains account for 15% of all athletic injuries. While the initial injury is no fun, once you’ve sprained an ankle, there’s a good chance it’ll happen again.
According to Frontiers in Public Health, one-third of all sprains lead to chronic ankle instability. Instability hurts athletic performance, reduces your quality of life, and could even increase your chances of osteoarthritis.
Ankle rehabilitation helps you break the reinjury cycle. It trains your muscles for healthy movement, teaches you your healthy range of motion, and makes your ankle joint more resilient with consistent effort.
2. Improve Mobility and Stability
Targeting the ankle is tough, so you have to strengthen the muscles and tendons around the joint. Regular exercise strengthens these areas, but it also comes with the added benefit of flexibility and stability. You’ll be able to move more freely and stay steady on your feet, which helps you walk, run, and move without any anxiety.
3. Age Well
We naturally lose balance, muscle, and stability as we age. Fortunately, you have some say in how much you lose as you get older. Targeted ankle rehab exercises can slow your decline and help you stay on your feet longer. Not only that, but improving your sense of balance can reduce the risk of falls, one of the biggest threats to your health as you age.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four phases of ankle rehab?
Ankle rehab follows four phases. First, reduce inflammation with rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). Next, restore range of motion through light flexibility and walking. Then, strengthen muscles around the joint to support stability. Finally, return to functional training with modifications to rebuild balance, prevent reinjury, and ensure long-term mobility.
How to strengthen a weak ankle?
To strengthen weak ankles, perform rehab exercises three to five days a week. Focus on movements that build strength and stability, such as calf raises, reverse lunges, and ankle inversion/eversion drills. Consistency is key; regular training helps improve mobility, balance, and joint support while reducing the risk of reinjury.
How many times a day should I do ankle rehab?
You should do ankle rehab once a day, three to five days a week, for four to six weeks. You may need to do lighter stretching before moving on to more challenging strength and balance exercises. Follow your doctor’s advice to avoid reinjuring your ankle.
Ankle Rehabilitation Builds Strength, Restores Mobility, and Prevents Reinjury
Ankle injuries reduce activity, but rehabilitation restores function, while consistency ensures long-term recovery. Follow a plan to rebuild your mobility, strength, and balance, helping you return to training ASAP while staying steady on your feet in the long run.
You don’t need to visit a physical therapist to rehabilitate your joints. You can do all of these movements at home, although having the right tools makes it even easier. Get a versatile setup that supports you during rehab and fuels your post-recovery goals; check out the Speediance Gym Monster 2 today.
