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Gladiola
New member
If this isn't a women's fitness issue, I don't know what is! 
A good friend of mine just got a job waitressing at a strip joint & she has to wear HIGH heels. Fortunately she'll only work 3 nights per week, but shifts are more than 6 or 7 hours. She has WEAK ANKLES!!! If you've ever walked around in 4-6 inch spike heels (stripper shoes)
: , you know you need not only good balance, but strong ankles. They are strappy shoes, not boots.
She has had problems twisting her ankle out before. I suggested a few things for her:
1. STRETCHING to counteract the shortening through the gastroc - both after shifts & during breaks.
Muscular endurance training to strengthen the lower leg. I recommended seated calf raises, standing machine calf raises, and seated on the floor - leg straight in front - calf raises (ankle plantar flexion) with the resistance of a band she's holding under the ball of her foot.
In addition to that gastroc & soleus work, I suggested some anterior tibialis work - basically the same thing with a band - just put the band on top of the foot & dorsiflex the ankle against resistance (pull toe toward knee).
I recommended to pick 2 of those 4 exercises: 2 sets of 15-20 reps, 2 X per week.
So my Q's: what do you think of the volume I recommended? She exercises regularly, but does primarily cardio, some arm & ab work, & some squats. Never did calf raises before.
2. Is this the best way to strengthen ankles to prevent twisting? I didn't think lateral flexion of the ankle against resistance was a good idea, since the bulk of the muscularture down there is in the front & back.
A good friend of mine just got a job waitressing at a strip joint & she has to wear HIGH heels. Fortunately she'll only work 3 nights per week, but shifts are more than 6 or 7 hours. She has WEAK ANKLES!!! If you've ever walked around in 4-6 inch spike heels (stripper shoes)
: , you know you need not only good balance, but strong ankles. They are strappy shoes, not boots.She has had problems twisting her ankle out before. I suggested a few things for her:
1. STRETCHING to counteract the shortening through the gastroc - both after shifts & during breaks.
Muscular endurance training to strengthen the lower leg. I recommended seated calf raises, standing machine calf raises, and seated on the floor - leg straight in front - calf raises (ankle plantar flexion) with the resistance of a band she's holding under the ball of her foot.
In addition to that gastroc & soleus work, I suggested some anterior tibialis work - basically the same thing with a band - just put the band on top of the foot & dorsiflex the ankle against resistance (pull toe toward knee).
I recommended to pick 2 of those 4 exercises: 2 sets of 15-20 reps, 2 X per week.
So my Q's: what do you think of the volume I recommended? She exercises regularly, but does primarily cardio, some arm & ab work, & some squats. Never did calf raises before.
2. Is this the best way to strengthen ankles to prevent twisting? I didn't think lateral flexion of the ankle against resistance was a good idea, since the bulk of the muscularture down there is in the front & back.
