Strengthen your ankles to train your balance

Our lower legs, particularly the Achilles tendon and the muscles and tendons of the calf, are critically important for both walking and balancing. Our calf muscles alternately stretch and contract to generate propulsive force that moves the body forward. Ankle strength, range of motion, selective control, and muscle tone around them are all important for us to walk with ease and not fall down. Ankle stability is a key component of overall balance.

In this yoga practice, we will focus on strengthening our ankles and transferring the energy generated by the lower legs up to our body’s center of gravity around the lower belly, which is essential for smooth walking and better balance. We will challenge our ankles in different positions to prepare them for weight-bearing postures and then hold several balancing postures to train our balance.

For this practice, you might need a rolled-up towel for Padahastasana if placing the hands under your feet doesn’t work for you.

Please give it a try and see how your ankles feel!