Having swollen ankles is annoying and downright frustrating.
Cute shoes always look great on the shelf but never fit or look right.
The straps cut into the skin and the legs look like stumps ending on the foot.
You dream of wearing sexy heels and how amazing you’ll feel that day.
Don’t give up hope, you can improve the look and function of your ankles.
With improved mobility, you’ll have less back pain and sexier ankles.
#1 – Improve Your Foot and Ankle Mobility
Your feet are your foundation.
Back, neck, and hip pain, are often linked to the feet and ankles.
Daily sock lines, puffy or swollen ankles are a sign of poor circulation.
Poor circulation can lead to foot and ankle pain as it reduces needed nutrients and oxygen.
How well does your foot move?
Can you pick up a pencil or piece of clothing off the floor and grip it with your foot?
If you can’t it’s time to get working on this daily – 10 times each foot daily.
If you can that’s a good sign – keep doing this 10 times on each foot daily.
Now it’s time to check your ankle mobility.
Start by pointing your toes toward the ceiling and then point them to the floor.
If there’s stiffness with these movements or you’re unable to move your feet inward or outward, you have restricted ankle mobility.
If you lack of mobility in your ankle, chances are you’ll have reduced mobility all the way up to the head.
That means you’re setting yourself up for lots of aches and pains.
Try these ankle mobility exercises each morning:
- point the toes up, down and point inward and outward 5 times each side
#2 – Work On Your Balance
Have you ever rolled your ankle and passed it off as no big deal?
Or perhaps you had a big sprain that caused ankle swelling that never went away.
These injuries no matter how small are what causes us to have reduced mobility in the ankle.
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If your ankle is not moving properly, you will not walk properly and the imbalance in your walk can cause pain or worse yet balance issues.
With age, balance and mobility become more difficult.
Exercise that improves mobility also improves circulation to the ankle.
Try these exercises to improve your balance:
- stand on one leg holding it for 10 seconds adding a second each day for 5 rounds – switch legs
- stand on the left leg and tap your toe to 12, 3, and 6 – repeat 10 times
- stand on the right leg and tap your toe to 12, 9, and 6 – repeat 10 times
#3 – Stretch and Work On the Knots in the Muscles
How often do you stretch?
When is the last time you had a massage?
Stretching, massages and self massage techniques all improve circulation.
After doing your ankle mobility exercises and foot workouts it’s time to work on your muscles.
Try the following for your muscles and circulation:
- foam roll your hamstrings, quads and calves
- use a lacrosse ball to release tension in your feet
- use a lacrosse ball to release your glutes
Use my favorite resource for self massage and muscle release – Airrosti Rehab Centers
I have several videos on my youtube channel that can show you how to access these trigger points and loosen up your muscles and joints. Check them out here.
#4- Nutrition for Sexy Ankles
Your tendons and ligaments need protein and lots of veggies.
Your muscles thrive off of vitamins, minerals and amino acids such as glycine.
6-8 cups of veggies a day are ideal for sexy ankles.
Celery, cucumber, parsley, and cilantro are great greens with fluid draining effects.
Not sure you’re getting enough protein? You can calculate your daily needs here.
If you have issues with your tendons and ligaments I recommend taking collagen peptides daily while you’re working on your injury.
If you are over 30 years of age it’s possible that you are struggling to digest protein as well.
Digestive enzymes such as Papaya Enzymes by American Health can help improve your protein digestion.
Protein helps you heal your tendons and ligaments after an injury and can improve your workout recovery.
Limit your consumption of bagged, canned and boxed foods as well as eating out as high fat and salty foods increase swelling in the ankles.
Junk foods, pastries and dairy based desserts are all high in unhealthy saturated fats that have the ability to clog your lymphatic system, the system in charge of draining fluid from the lower half of your body.
#5 – Boost Circulation with Essential Oils
Cinnamon, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary and oregano are essential oils that enhance circulation.
Adding these essential oils to your everyday lotion boosts circulation.
Consider adding these oils in when you use the lacrosse ball to massage your muscles.
Try Dr. Bob’s Medicated Oil by Blue Poppy Press.
Massage lotion or oils into the feet and ankles and gently massage upward to aid in circulation of fluid back toward the heart.
This style of massage is called, lymphatic drainage, click HERE to learn how it can help improve your ankles.
It’s Time to Get those Sexy Ankles
If your feet and ankles are moving, you’re going to have a long and active life.
Swollen ankles are annoying and finding cute shoes that fit is tough.
Think about that day when those cute shoes shoes fit just right and you are ready to show off your ankles.
You’ve read through the tips on how to get the ankles of your dreams, now it’s time to get to work on those 5 tips.
If you enjoyed this blog post I have a podcast dedicated to this topic and more related to mobility and reducing pain. Click HERE to listen to my podcast!
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