IT might not be the first thing your personal trainer gets you working on at the gym, but for many women thick ankles can seriously impact their confidence.
I’m Kevin Abel, a fitness coach, physiotherapist and founder of Athletica Health, and I know that any area of the body can be changed if you work the right muscles – the ankle is no different.
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We first need to remember the function of the ankle joint.
It is the foundation of the strength and stability for the whole limb so exercises need to be fit for purpose and lean towards the adaptation you are trying to promote.
Put simply, we need to work the right muscles in the right way to make changes, and believe me there are lots of exercises that are not worth doing when it comes to the ankles.
Before we delve into the exercises themselves, we should look at what causes thick ankles.
What causes cankles?
The main cause of thick ankles is obesity.
When we carry excess weight it puts strain on our joints, and because the ankles take so much of the weight of our body every day, this extra pressure can cause them to swell.
As well as obesity, a sedentary lifestyle can also cause fat and fluids to accumulate around the ankles, so movement is key if you want to rid yourself of them.
To relieve yourself of thick ankles you should start by looking at your daily diet and make sure you are eating balanced meals, correct portion sizes and cut back on saturated fat found in processed foods.
Salt, if you eat too much of it, may also be causing your ankles to balloon.
I always recommend people incorporate more vegetables in their diet too to up their nutrient intake.
Once you’ve got your diet in check you can start looking at movements to help reduce ankle size.
More seriously, swollen ankles can be a sign of a blood clot, infection or problem with your kidneys, liver or heart.
You should see a GP if you think your ankles have swelled up and are not improving with basic care, such as raising the legs, or is getting worse fast.
Pointless exercises to avoid
Here’s three exercises that will not work for slimming your ankles.
1. Ankle Circles
It’s one of those exercises you see dancers doing to warm up so most people assume this is a good exercise for ankle toning – but that’s not the case.
Circling the ankles is a mobility movement but it’s unloaded, meaning no weight is used.
It only helps your range of motion, not strengthening.
2. Banded Toe Points
Another common exercise you see people doing in the gym.
A person sits on the floor with their legs in front of them, loops a band around their feet and holds the other side with their hands to cause tension in the band. They then repetitively point and then flex their toes.
This is really only useful if someone has an injury and needs to stabilise a joint.
Banded toe points are unlikely to give you enough load to promote strength.
3. Step machine
You might think that the step machine at the gym is good for your ankles, but in reality, that machine focuses on your glutes (bum) muscles more than anything else.
And 3 exercises that really do work…
1. Get Walking
To help you shed body fat, reduce fluid retention and start building strength in your ankle then just getting up and walking is a fantastic place to start.
It is a great cardio exercise, it is low impact and it will really get your lifestyle kick started.
I would advise at least a 30 minute walk a day, try and go at a pace that makes it a little difficult to talk but not so much that you are out of breath.
You could also try adding in some uphill walking to really challenge your heart rate and your ankles.
2. Single leg calf raise
To promote proper strength and change to the ankles, walking alone isn’t enough.
For healthy ankles you need three things; balance, strength and power.
Single leg calf raises are a fantastic way to work not only the muscles and ligaments in your ankle, but also in the muscles in the feet and calves that are so close to the ankles.
These work because you use the weight of your body to challenge your ankles, helping to strengthen them.
Find a step or stair and stand so your left foot is half on the step but your heel is hanging off the back and your right foot is hanging off the back too.
From here lift your body by flexing your foot and leg muscles so you are on the ball of your foot, then fully lower back down.
Repeat for 6-12 reps and do four sets on each side.
3. Two footed pogo hops
Great for stimulating your ankle tendons, muscles and more importantly waking up your nervous system.
Start standing with feet together.
From here push the floor away quickly and, while keeping the body as straight as you can, bounce into the air, pointing your toes as you do, then land back down with both feet and immediately repeat.
