Elite Health Services Pilates Director, Corey Anne Radtke takes you through footwork for ankle strengthening.
Foot and ankle strength are vital for our sense of balance, especially as we age. We need both strength and mobility in our ankles and feet. Each foot is made up of 28 bones, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. (referenced from arthritis.org). That’s nearly 1/4 of our bodies’ bones!
Working barefoot – if it is initially painful on your bones, stand on a mat or carpet.
Initially, hold on to a chair, or use a foam roller upright in front of you to hold for balance. Practice alignment first before letting go.
Alignment: Stand with the widest part of your feet a fist-width apart. The heel is aligned to the 2nd two joints. In this alignment, the heels will be a little wider apart than the toes.
Start with 5 reps of each movement and work up to 10.
Don’t forget your posture! Pull your core in and lift tall through the center of your body.
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Founded in 2004, Elite Health Services, with locations in Old Greenwich, CT, is a world-class provider of certified Functional Manual Therapy™, personal training, pilates and running services. Elite Health Services has already helped thousands of your colleagues, friends and neighbors throughout Lower Fairfield County.