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How to Prevent Ankle Sprains

girl sitting on a bed her leg's ankel is paining and doctor noting on his paper

How to Prevent Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains and injuries are pretty common, especially in sports like tennis and football. 

Even runners are known to sprain their ankles from time to time, which is why it is important to warm up before any strenuous activity. A proper warm-up helps reduce the risk of injury. 

Ankle sprains can be difficult to recover from. They take a lot of time to heal but proper rest and rehab exercises can help the injury from worsening. The resting period may keep them away from their normal activities for a certain period of time but it aids recovery. 

Precautionary measures are the most important way individuals can prevent ankle injuries from arising. Let’s explore some ways that can prevent ankle injuries. 

Warm Up Effectively Before Any Strenuous Activity 

Warming up before a sports activity or even before your gym session dramatically reduces the possibility of injuring yourself. 

Dynamic stretching or going for a slow-paced 10-minute walk can serve as an effective warm-up, which improves blood circulation around the body and lubricates your muscles and joints to prepare for strenuous exercise. 

If you’re looking to squat or bench press at the gym, use the empty bar to warm up with one or two sets of high repetitions, and then slowly increase the weight to your working sets. 

Taking your time warming up can be the difference between a good workout session and an injury. 

Sports athletes often spend a lot of time stretching and warming up their muscles before they begin any strenuous activity. 

Football and soccer players often spend time off the field warming up to prevent serious injuries in the middle of the game. 

Ankle injuries are particularly nasty because they can take you out for a long time and make it difficult to walk around without crutches. 

Condition The Muscles 

Oftentimes, people who get recurring injuries in a particular body part are dealing with weaknesses in the connective tissue and ligaments, which can easily be remedied by practicing certain movements that strengthen those areas. 

Runners can build up their leg muscles by exercising at the gym or spending enough time jogging long distances before increasing their pace for running or sprinting. 

Mobility and strength are two factors that prevent ankle sprains, and you must prioritize both if you are looking to steer clear of any sports-related injuries. 

Stretching is also a big part of preventing ankle injuries, and reduced mobility from muscle stiffness can be remedied by taking the time to stretch after your workouts or sports sessions. 

Choose The Right Shoes 

Many people wear the wrong shoes for their particular sports, which can be a big problem and cause ankle sprains. 

Runners should opt for running shoes with cushioned heels so that some of the shock during running is absorbed by the shoe heels and not the ankles. 

Sports-specific shoes are a must, which is why powerlifters often wear flat shoes that adequately grip the ground, providing stability. 

Cross-training shoes are a terrible choice because they are not sports-specific, and sudden movements can lead to ankle sprains. 

Avoid Uneven Surfaces 

When trail running or climbing mountains, you must make sure that you do not step on uneven surfaces, leading to ankle sprains. 

Putting all of your weight on a bad angle for your foot can cause excruciating pain and can put you on bed rest if you are not careful. 

Running on roads and concrete can also damage your tendons and ligaments, which is why a dirt road is better because it is softer and less force is absorbed by your legs and ankles. 

Pay Attention to Your Body 

Many athletes often make the mistake of overtraining, which is a major cause of injuries. 

If your body accumulates too much fatigue and does not have enough time to recover, you can get injured. 

The body normally signals small pains that are ignored by high-level athletes who constantly seek to go past their limits, and this can create problems. 

Listening and paying attention to the body is an important requirement that helps people stay ahead of injuries and take preventive measures. 

Nursing an ankle injury isn’t pretty and can take away from the crucial training time you might need to excel at your sport, especially if you’re playing at a high level. 

Rehabilitation can be a long process, which is why athletes are constantly reminded by their coaches to take things down a notch and lower the intensity instead of trying to go max effort every single session. 

Final Verdict 

An ankle sprain can be a major hindrance to everyday activities, but there are emergency care services you can avail of in urgent healthcare centers. These services help alleviate your pain and provide relief from your symptoms instantly. 

Hillsboro Urgent Care in Deerfield Beach, FL, provides family medicine and ambulatory care for ankle sprains and other sports-related injuries. Walk-in or call (954) 807-3234 to schedule an appointment. 

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Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

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