Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 4/17/2009

Question
Can you recommend exercises that can be done at home to strenghten my daughter's ankles? I have heard of having her sitting down, legs together and straight in front of her, slipping an exercise band around the arches of her feet and having her flex and point her feet in repetition. Anything else you could suggest?

Answer
Hi Fabienne. You are correct in the exercise you mention above. The link below is an article I wrote on my blog talking about that, with additional foot exercises as well.

http://balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/2008/10/use-of-theraband-for-balle...

These exercises are part of the regimen recommended in The Perfect Pointe Book, which is an amazing manual about strengthening the foot muscles, foot types, and ballet posture, turnout and balance, all of which can affect the correct use of the lower leg and ankle/foot muscles. If your daughter is a dedicated ballet student, that might be something for her. There is a link going to the author's pages on the left sidebar of the blog right near the article.

If your daughter does the foot exercises 6 days a week for 2-3 weeks, she will start feeling a difference in strength and control. That could be all she needs for now.

All the best to you both, Dianne