Hello, hoping someone might be able to give me some advice. I started running around 6 weeks ago, and am really enjoying it. I'm still very much a beginner, but hoping to be fit enough for a 5k soon. I have slightly weak ankles and I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to strengthen them? They don't cause me too much of a problem as I only run short distances, but sometimes when I'm walking, my right ankle has a tendancy to turn over. I'm hoping to build up to longer distances over time, but given that running has a lot of impact on ankles, I'm just wondering if there's any exercises I can do to get then a bit stronger and hopefully reduce the risk of injuries.
Hope this isn't too silly a question
Comments
try some balancing exercises, stand on a rolled up towel on one foot for so many seconds and progress for a longer time and then eventually to closing your eyes ... good for strengthening and for core stability.
Also when you are sat down in the evening, draw the alphabet with your toes this employs all the range of movement and will help strengthen the tendons
running off road will help once you are more stable
Not sure on the exercise front but a good place to start might be a pair of socks with ankle support (acts like a tube grip cross band) with added support you might be less likely to turn the ankle and do further damage try X socks around £10 in most good sport shops. I'm a new runner and was given this advice yesterday in a running specialist shop as I have broken 1 ankle 3 times, should be worth a try!!!
Mercy xx
and go for the 5K did my first 1 last week with no training and now I have that bench mark to try and better, just finishing feels great !!
Thanks for the advice - will definitely give all of those things a try.
Mercy - well done on the 5k! I'm looking to do one on 31st May. I can only run a mile so far without needing to have a walking break, so I don't think I'll be fit enough to run the whole thing by then, but like you I'm going to use it as a bench mark to try and get better. Are you going to do any more races?
For sure have a real running bug now have done 20 miles so far this week and plan to run 6 on my treadmill tonight!!! the thought of say that at Xmas would have finished me off as I had been a 20 a day smoker for 10 years and the only exercise I took was jumping in the car to buy more fags lol
Because I didn't train for last weeks race I didn't do as well as I would have liked (bit of a perfectionist!!!) so I'm following a 8 week 5K intermediate training plan (got off the net) to see if I can do better next time so | need to find a race in 3weeks time for a half way test then one in 7weeks to see if the training worked!!
am wanting to then step it up to 10K's and then you never know I might get brave and try a half marathon but for know I will settle for dropping at least 2mins off of my PB (well not sure you can call a first race result a PB , but hay ho!!)
Try standing on one leg for up to a minute with the knee slightly bent (don't worry if you can only manage a few seconds to begin with)
You can do this on a flat surface to start with but then you can progress onto uneven surfaces/wobble boards
It's the Runnesworld triathletes.
Hi Lisa-Marie,
Sound like we have the same problem. Ankles keep going over and it flipping hurts (Sorry for the bad language) Going to try the towel thing and the alphabet thing m.eldy. Should the letters be capital letters or lower case? lol
Si.
Thanks Pit Stop Crew.
I don't have a shower, could try it in the bath i suppose.
Si.
Another silly question I'm sure. Where do I get a wobble board from?
Hey, that's why I post in the beginners forum. I don't know this stuff yet