foot & ankle focus
Ankle Circles
Maintains ankle mobility for balance.
Key cue: Draw full, slow circles with your foot. Hold a wall if you need to.
Area
foot & ankle
Level
beginner
Volume
10/direction/side
Goal
mobility
How to do it
- 1Sit on a chair, or stand next to a wall, and lift one foot just off the floor.
- 2Keeping your leg still, draw the biggest, slowest circle you can with your toes.
- 3Do 10 circles one way, then 10 the other way.
- 4Rest, then repeat with the other foot.
Easier and harder versions
- Easier
- Do it seated with your heel resting on the floor, drawing smaller, slow circles with your toes.
- Harder
- Stand on the other leg beside a wall, or write the alphabet in the air with your toes.
Helps with
Commonly used for:
Ankle stiffness after immobilitySwelling from sitting stillGentle post-injury movement
Part of these condition plans
Where it fits in the step-by-step plans on our condition pages.
Benefits
- Maintains ankle mobility
- Improves balance
- Reduces sprain risk
Muscles worked
Mobility. Gently moves your ankle stabilizers, calves and tibialis anterior.
Ankle stabilizersCalvesTibialis anterior
Form tips
- Imagine drawing a large circle in the air with your big toe.
- Let your ankle do the work and keep your knee still.
Common mistakes
- Moving the whole leg instead of the ankle.
- Making small, fast circles.
When to avoid or modify
- An ankle sprain in its first days, or a foot you can't put weight through: get it checked first
- Recent ankle surgery, unless your surgeon has cleared it
- Sharp pain: make the circles smaller
If in doubt, check with a qualified physiotherapist before continuing.
Where to go from here
The ladder
More for the feet & ankles