Reduce Your Risk of Spraining Your Ankle this Basketball Season
Spraining your ankle shouldn’t be underestimated! Ankle sprains are the most common on-court injury in basketball resulting in more game time lost per player than any other injury.With a staggering 2 million cases reported each year in the USA(1), it’s concerning that a significant 40% of these injuries are left untreated(2). This neglect can result in chronic ankle instability, mainly attributed to persistent ligament damage or nerve complications. Such instability may pave the way for future complications including post-traumatic arthritis and the potential necessity for surgical intervention.
And for all you athletes out there, listen up! Ankle injuries are a major hazard, especially in high-impact sports like basketball and can reduce your season playing time and confidence when getting back from an injury. Many basketballers complain regularly about spraining their ankle. That’s why it’s crucial to jump on proactive measures like taping and bracing, which can slash the risk of a repeat sprain by 62%(2). This being said, nothing is more effective than exercise therapy!
Let’s focus on lateral ankle sprains—they’re often the troublemakers, especially concerning the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). They’re the most prevalent type and the aftermath isn’t pleasant, involving pain, weakness, and restricted range of motion. But don’t worry! Tailored exercise steps in aiding in stabilising the ankle and facilitating a speedy recovery so you can return to sport.
Basketballers: Exercises can help you avoid spraining your ankle?
Ankle, knee and hip strengthening is not just an exercise routine. Strengthening is a proactive shield against one of the most common yet overlooked basketball injuries. . These injuries not only sideline athletes, causing frustration and delays in progress but also affect individuals in their daily activities, turning a simple step into a painful ordeal. By incorporating ankle-strengthening exercises into your fitness regimen, you fortify the muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding the ankle joint. This fortification not only enhances stability and agility but significantly reduces the risk of future sprains. Engaging in ankle-strengthening activities is an investment in your mobility, ensuring that your steps remain strong, balanced, and confident and helping you to avoid spraining your ankle. Whether you’re sprinting towards the finish line, navigating a rocky trail, or simply climbing the stairs at home.
Let’s talk about some awesome exercises that can really make a difference for those pesky ankle sprains. We’re all about keeping you moving safely and confidently, so let’s dive into these 5 exercises that can help strengthen those ankles and prevent future mishaps.
Best 5 Exercises to Reduce Your Risk of Spraining Your Ankle this Basketball Season
1. Calf raises:
First up, we’ve got single leg calf raises. Make sure you’re standing tall with a straight knee, lifting those heels off the ground, then gently lowering back down. Building strength in the calf is important as it stabilises the ankle joint and aids in absorbing shock during movement, reducing strain on the ligaments. Calf raises are pivotal for ankle health because they strengthen the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, which in turn enhances the stability and resilience of the ankle joint, reducing the risk of sprains and improving balance. Additionally, their simplicity and accessibility allow for easy integration into any fitness routine, making them a foundational exercise for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike seeking to fortify their lower legs and prevent injuries. To make this exercise more difficult, complete off a step
2. Arabesque:
Now, let’s get a bit more elegant with the Arabesque. This one’s all about balance and grace. Standing on one leg, you’ll extend the other leg back while slowly leaning forward. It’s like a ballet move, but with added ankle-strengthening benefits! This exercise helps improve your balance and fine-tunes those ankle stabilisers to keep you steady on your feet during dynamic movements. Arabesques are vital for reinforcing ankle stability and proprioception by challenging the body to maintain balance on a single leg, thereby engaging and strengthening the intricate network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the ankle. This exercise not only enhances the functional performance of the ankles, making them more adept at preventing sprains and injuries, but also improves overall body alignment and posture, highlighting its significance in a well-rounded fitness regimen.
3. Tibialis anterior raises:
Next on the list is Tibialis Anterior Raises. Don’t let the name scare you off! Start standing with your back against a wall, casually lifting those toes towards the sky, then lowering them back down. Make sure to hold it up for a few seconds! This move targets the your shin, giving your ankles that extra push they need to stay ready for action. To make this more challenging, move your feet closer to the wall.
Tibialis anterior raises target the often-neglected muscle at the front of the lower leg, crucial for dorsiflexion. This muscle is responsible for pulling the toes toward the shin during walking. This plays a key role in maintaining ankle stability and balance during daily activities and athletic endeavours. Strengthening the tibialis anterior through these raises can help prevent overuse injuries, such as shin splints and ankle sprains. They contribute to a more balanced muscle development around the ankle ensuring a solid foundation for movement and injury prevention.
4. Hopping
Now, for a bit of fun, let’s hop into Side-to-Side and directional Hopping. Imagine yourself gracefully hopping from side to side, landing softly like a feather. This exercise is all about building dynamic stability and agility, perfect for those who love sports or want to move with ease in daily activities. Side to side hopping is crucial for developing ankle stability and agility, challenging the muscles and ligaments to adapt to rapid changes in direction and uneven forces, thus reducing the risk of ankle sprains. This dynamic exercise enhances your mind muscle connection, teaching the ankle joint to quickly respond and adjust to varying pressures, which is essential for athletes and active individuals in preventing injuries and improving performance in multi-directional movements.
5. Crab walks:
Let’s build up some hip strength to keep your ankles strong with crab walks and reduce those ankle wobbles. Stand up with your chest facing the ground, band around the feet and take big sideways steps. With this exercise you should feel a burn in the side of your hips around your bottom area. Crab walks target and strengthen the lateral stabilisers of the ankles, muscles that are crucial for side-to-side movements and often overlooked in standard training routines, thereby enhancing overall ankle resilience and stability. This exercise not only aids in injury prevention and helping you avoid spraining your ankle by fortifying the ankles against sprains when playing. Crab walks improve the functional mobility and agility required for dynamic athletic performance and everyday activities.
So there you have it, folks! Exercises are like your ankle’s best friends, helping them stay strong, stable, and ready for anything life throws their way. Incorporate them into your routine, and let’s keep those ankles happy and healthy for this basketball season!
- Herzog MM, Kerr ZY, Marshall SW, Wikstrom EA. Epidemiology of ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability. Journal of athletic training. 2019 Jun 1;54(6):603-10.
- Doherty C, Bleakley C, Hertel J, Caulfield B, Ryan J, Delahunt E. Recovery from a first-time lateral ankle sprain and the predictors of chronic ankle instability: a prospective cohort analysis. The American journal of sports medicine. 2016 Apr;44(4):995-1003.
- https://www.bauerfeind.com.au/blogs/news/how-do-basketball-players-protect-their-ankles
