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Before you prepare for an intensive lower body workout, make sure you can be steady on your feet under you. The weak and unstable ankles are an easy precursor to many types of injuries.
To prevent many types of injuries from occurring on your feet, try to practice proprioception with your reinforcement routine.
What is proprioception?
You can strengthen the muscles of your ankles and around your needs, but if you lack good proprioception, the strength of your ankle will not help you. proprioception is the perception or awareness of the position and movement of your body in space. Basically, it's the ability of your brain to orient you in space.
There is a feedback loop between your peripheral nervous system (especially the sensory receptors) and your brain that helps your brain to send the fast signals needed to help you stabilize well before you have had the time to make a conscious decision concerning the muscles to be activated. So for better ankle stability, you will want to strengthen both systems, the neuromuscular system and the musculoskeletal system.
The muscles of the ankle
Getty ImagesSEBASTIAN KAULITZKI
Many muscles pbad through the ankle joint, including the gastrocnemius, the soleus, the posterior tibialis, the long flexor hallucis and the longis and peritoneal brevis. You will want to strengthen these muscles in different ways. Each muscle contributes to both the movement of the ankle and the stabilization of the ankle joint.
When the muscles on one side of the joint contract or shorten, the ankle moves in that direction, simultaneously lengthening the muscles on the opposite side. When you want to stay still, instead of any of your muscles being active, you want multiple muscles to work together or "co-contract" by preventing movements in multiple directions at the same time.
Most ankle strengthening exercises focus on stability of the ankle, which is important for any sport of running or jumping obstacles, as well as for everyday functions. But the stability of the ankle does not come only from your muscles, but from your brain. It is there that proprioception is important In practicing these exercises, you can help your brain know when and how to stabilize the ankle joint and support this system with stronger ankle muscles.
Check out this list of ankle exercises that target both the muscles in and around the joint, as well as the system that will activate them when you need them the most.
Ankle strengthening exercises
Standing heel raises
Two at the top, two at the bottom
Stand at a kitchen counter or table so you can lightly touch the surface for stability. Start standing normally, feeling the width of the hips. Raise your heels slowly by putting yourself on your toes. Lower yourself slowly with control (do not just drop).
Make sure you keep control of movement and stay on your toes as long as this movement is pain free. Try not to let your ankles roll at the same time. Repeat the operation for 2 to 3 sets of 10. Stretch your calves thereafter.
Standing heel raises
Two at the top, one at the bottom
This variation of heel lift is slightly more difficult. Start the same way by climbing on your toes. Then, instead of lowering both heels at the same time, remove one foot so that you can stand on the toes of one foot and only lower with that foot.
Repeat going up with both feet, then down with another. Do this 10 times from one side, then 10 times from the other side.
One-leg balance on an unstable surface
Getty ImagesSkynesher
One of the best ways to improve ankle stability is to challenge the stability of the ankle. Try using an Airex or any other type of dense foam or slightly viscous surface. Just stand on one foot and try to stay in balance for at least 30 seconds. If your ankle wobbles or you can not maintain your balance for more than 5 seconds, you may not be ready for this exercise.
If 30 seconds on one foot are easy, try a softer surface or use the rounded side of a BOSU ball and add to that throwing a ball up and down if you're alone, or playing the ball with a friend if another player is present. Always easy? Use a weighted ball and have your friend throw it to each side of you so that your center of gravity is ejected.
Ankle resistance, inversion and inversion
This exercise requires a resistance band. Tie a small loop at the end of a 3-foot elastic resistance band. Loop your foot in the hole. Start by placing the center of the loop around the base of the big toe. Wrap the headband to create a pull line perpendicular to your leg from that point.
Start with your foot turned towards the little toe. Then, slowly move your foot towards the big toe against the resistance without moving your knee. Gently bring the foot back to the starting position with the control – do not let the group bad it back. Repeat the operation with the band placed in the opposite direction – pbading the loop around the base of the little toe and the band anchored to the opposite side. Perform 10 to 15 representatives of each.
Star Exercise
Stand in the same place and place cones in "star", with 5 cones in a circle around you. While swaying on one foot, tap lightly on each cone as you move around the "star".
Note: A cone will require you to diagonally stand behind you and another diagonally in front of the leg on which you will swing. Repeat the cycle 5 times. If it is easy, try it on a sticky or unstable surface, such as Airex foam pad or BOSU pad.
Squat Jumps
The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles are essential muscles for propulsion and power. They act as a coiled spring storing the kinetic energy that, when released, creates an elastic energy that propels you into the air.
Squat jumps are an excellent exercise to strengthen these muscles while strengthening the glutes, quads and hamstrings. To perform, start standing with your feet apart from the hip width. Slowly lower on the ground before jumping straight ahead. Keep jumping straight by pushing your toes as you crouch between each jump.
Squats on the board of equilibrium
Whether you're traveling on public transit or standing on an uneven surface, try adding a dynamic component to your balance exercise to meet the challenge.
To perform, stand on a board of equilibrium or wobble with a pivot of movement (medial to lateral or anterior to posterior). Bend your knees slightly to try to find stability, then do 10 squats without leaving any edge of the board touching the ground.
Soleus Presses
The soleus is a broad flat muscle below the gastrocnemius, essential for walking, running, balancing and jumping. To strengthen the soleus, try the soleus presses. Sit with your knees bent, your toes on a Smith machine bar and the weight over your knees. With your toes touching the ground, slowly lift your heels up by pressing your toes. Then go down slowly. Control is the key. Perform these until you are tired.
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