14 of the Best Balance Exercises for Ankle: Strengthening Seniors

Have you ever tripped or just straight out fallen while walking down the street or going up and down stairs? 

I know I have!

My first thought is always, “Oh my God, I hope that no one saw me!” Then it changes to, “I hope I didn’t break anything!”

Well, casual trips or falls can happen when we either don’t pay attention to what we are doing or something gets in our way. 

But what if you are tripping or falling due to muscle weakness – specifically weakness of the muscles around your ankle?

You see, as we age, the strength and stability of our ankles can decrease and cause balance issues.  

This can lead to falls and injuries.  

The good news is that you can strengthen the muscles around your ankle by adding balance exercises to your exercise program and daily routine.  

These exercises are simple yet effective in developing strong ankles and boosting ankle stability and joint health.

Which, of course, can help you avoid falls or injury.  

So, let’s get proactive about strengthening our ankle and leg muscles with ankle exercises. 

This is an important step toward better balance and a more active lifestyle.

Causes of Weak Ankles

Here are some common causes of ankle weakness:

• Previous Ankle Injuries: A history of sprained or ankle fractures can weaken ligaments and tendons, (this is for sure my story!  When I was younger, I constantly had ankle sprains – I was a very clumsy girl). Well, turns out that this can increase the possibility of another ankle injury and instability.
• Deconditioning and muscle weakness:  Decreased strength and conditioning of the lower leg muscles due to a sedentary lifestyle or lack of exercise can cause weak ankles.
• Overuse: Repetitive stress on the ankle from activities such as running, dancing, or sports that involve jumping and quick changes in direction can cause fatigue and weakness in the ankle structures.
• Footwear: Wearing shoes that do not give you good support, such as high heels or worn-out athletic shoes, can cause ankle weakness and instability.
• Structural Abnormalities: Congenital or foot deformities, like flat feet or high arches, can alter the alignment of the ankle.
• Aging can cause a natural loss of muscle mass and strength and decreased ligament elasticity.
• Obesity: Carrying additional body weight can strain the ankle joints and muscles, leading to weakness and instability.
• Arthritis: Inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis can damage the ankle joint and surrounding tissues.
• Prolonged Immobilization: Being in a cast or brace for an extended period due to injury or surgery can cause muscle atrophy and weakness around the ankle.

Symptoms of Weak Ankles

Common symptoms and signs of weak ankles include:

• Frequent Ankle Sprains: An individual with weak ankles may experience repeated ankle sprains, even with minor missteps or during regular activities.
• Ankle Instability is a feeling that the ankle is “giving way” or unable to support the body’s weight properly, especially on uneven surfaces or when changing directions quickly.
• Pain or Discomfort: Persistent or intermittent ankle pain may be caused by activity or after prolonged rest periods.
• Swelling: Chronic or recurrent swelling around the ankle joint may be a sign of underlying weakness or injury.
• Limited Range of Motion: Difficulty moving the ankle through its full range of motion or stiffness in the joint.
• Difficulty with Balance: Challenges in maintaining balance, particularly when standing on one foot, walking on uneven ground, or participating in activities that require ankle stability.
• Tripping or Falling: The lack of ankle support increases the likelihood of tripping, stumbling, or falling.
• Muscle Weakness: There is noticeable weakness in the muscles around the ankle, which may affect the ability to perform certain movements or exercises.
• Poor Proprioception: Difficulty in sensing the ankle joint’s position, which can affect coordination and balance.

Fundamental Ankle-Strengthening Exercises

As we age, maintaining ankle strength helps with stability and reduces the risk of falls.

The following exercises can be done anywhere: at your desk while working, watching television, or on a road trip.

I do them almost daily just to stretch my feet and get me going. 

Seated Ankle Movements

To do seated ankle movements:

• While seated, extend your legs and move your feet up and down at the ankle joint.
• Flex the foot upward and then point the toes downward.

To make the exercise more challenging, you can use a resistance band.

• Hold one end of a resistance band in your hands and wrap the other end around the ball of your foot.
• Then point the toes out away from you.
• After you complete the extension exercises, wrap the end of the resistance band you are holding around a heavy object like a table leg and place the other end around your upper foot.
• While facing the object, pull your toes towards you.

Perform 10 to 15 repetitions for each foot.

Ankle Circles

Ankle circles are a simple exercise that can improve your range of motion and strengthen the muscles around the ankle.

• Direction: Rotate each ankle slowly, making large circles.
• Reps: Complete 10 circles in each direction for each ankle.

Letters of the Alphabet Exercise

OK this one can take a while to complete – it seems to take me forever!  I do struggle with some of the letters because I am not very coordinated.  So, I would love to hear how you do with it!

To begin – imagining your big toe as a pen, write each letter of the alphabet in the air.

This exercise targets several muscles and helps with ankle flexibility.

Trace the entire alphabet with each foot.

Standing Balance Exercises to Strengthen Ankles

These are some of the best exercises to improve poor balance.

Single-Leg Balance Stance

To perform the Single-Leg Stance:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart on a flat surface.
• In a controlled manner, lift one foot and balance on the other.
• Hold for 15–30 seconds.
• Do 10 times alternating legs.
• Then, switch feet and repeat the exercise.

If you have difficulty standing on one leg, stand at the back of a chair and hold onto it if needed.

For more of a challenge, you can also do it while standing on an unstable surface like a bosu ball.

Heel-to-Toe Standing and Walking

To do the Heel-to-Toe Standing or walking exercise:

• Place one foot directly in front of the other, heel-to-toe
• Maintain even weight distribution.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Do 5 times, alternating feet.

You could also begin walking heel-to-toe instead of standing still.

Calf Raises

To do calf raises to strengthen calf muscles:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Lift your heels off the ground.
• Lower your heels back down.
• Repeat for several reps.

For a deeper stretch, stand on a short step with your toes on the step and heels hanging off the step.

You can also add free weights or ankle weights to this one for more resistance.

Standing Leg Swings

For Standing Leg Swings:

• Stand holding onto the back of a chair for support.
• Swing one leg forward and back.
• Only take your foot to a comfortable range of motion.
• Do 10 swings per leg.
• You can also go side to side with the raised foot.

Dynamic Balance Exercises for Ankle

Engaging in dynamic routines that challenge our body’s equilibrium in a controlled way can improve ankle stability and overall balance.

These are also good for a warm-up routine before a workout.

Sidesteps

To do side steps:

1. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Keep your knees slightly bent and step to the side with one foot.
3. Bring your other foot to meet the first, returning to shoulder-width apart.
4. Continue stepping out to the side for 10-15 steps.
5. Repeat the steps in the opposite direction.

Make sure to engage your core and look straight ahead to maintain balance.

Lunges

Lunges are great exercises for strengthening muscles around the ankle.

To do lunges:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Take a step forward with one foot.
• Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
• Bend both knees until your front thigh is parallel to the ground and your back knee hovers just above the floor.
• Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle and your back knee is pointing towards the floor.
• Push through your front heel to return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.

For more modified lunges, this article may be helpful:  Best Modified Lunges for Seniors: Easy Exercises to Stay Active

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts

This is by far one of my favorite balance exercises.

It is a little more advanced so don’t be discouraged if you lose your balance occasionally while doing it.

To do a Romanian deadlift:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell or a dumbbell in each hand.
• Bend your knees slightly and push your hips back as you slowly bend forward, keeping your shoulders back and your back straight.
• Lift the left leg off the ground with the back heel facing the ceiling.
• Then keep your butt tight as you stand back up.
• Don’t hyperextend at the top, keep back straight.
• Then, lower back down with left leg raised.
• Repeat for 10-15 reps.
• Then, switch and lift the right leg.

Advanced Ankle Strengthening Balance Exercises

This is a more challenging ankle exercise, so you may want to wait until your ankles are stronger.  

Balance Board Ball Toss

To do this exercise:

• Stand on a balance board or wobble board.
• Stand a few feet away from a wall or a buddy.  
• Throw the ball against the wall or to the other person, and play a game of catch.   

I may or may not have fallen more than once doing this exercise!

It’s embarrassing for sure- but it’s very good for you to try if you’re ready.

Balance-Enhancing Activities

Maintaining a steady balance is important for all of us as we age, especially to enhance ankle stability.

Here, we explore specific Yoga and Tai Chi exercises that can help us achieve a more stable and balanced foundation.

Yoga for Ankles

Yoga provides gentle yet effective exercises that we can use to strengthen our ankles and improve our balance.

Poses that particularly benefit our ankles include:

• Tree Pose (Vrikshasana): We place the sole of one foot on the opposite leg’s inner thigh, standing tall and steady to engage the ankle muscles.
• Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III): This pose challenges us to balance on one leg while leaning forward, extending the other leg and arms out, forming a ‘T’ shape with our body.

I love to do these poses now. However, when I first started, I swayed and fell like an old dead tree on a windy day!!

I did find that with consistent practice, the moves became easier, and it made my ankles stronger.

Tai Chi Fundamentals

Tai Chi is a series of flowing movements performed slowly and mindfully, These exercises can improve your balance significantly.

Our focus will be on movements that emphasize ankle strength:

• White Crane Spreads Wings: Shifting your weight to one leg, slowly raise the arms to shoulder height, resembling a crane in flight, this stabilizes you ankle of the weight-bearing leg.
• Brush Knee and Push: Involving steps and turns, these movement sequences require you to distribute your weight evenly and smoothly, engaging and strengthening your ankles throughout.

When to Seek Professional Guidance

If you don’t know where to start with balance exercises, or you have pre-existing medical conditions, you should consult a healthcare professional.

They may recommend that you see a physical therapist for an exercise plan that fits your situation.

Also, you may want to get professional advice if you experience pain or discomfort while doing balance exercises.

Treatment may include ankle stabilizing exercises to strengthen the muscles around the ankle, supportive devices like braces or orthotics, and, in some cases, surgery if significant damage has occurred to the ligaments or other structures of the ankle.

Building Stronger You

Balance exercises for the ankles are important for anyone recovering from ankle injuries or as a preventative routine for people wanting to improve stability, proprioception, and overall lower limb health. 

By regularly including different balance exercises, you can improve ankle strength and coordination and reduce the risk of future injuries. 

These exercises can range from simple static poses to dynamic movements that challenge the ankle in multiple planes of motion. 

For the best results, these exercises should be done consistently. 

So, let’s start strengthening those ankles so that we can continue to raise hell on a daily basis! 

Let me know how you do with the alphabet exercise!