Ankle Strengthening Exercises: Six Simple Ones, And Why They Matter After 50
Ankle strengthening exercises: the short answer
Ankle strengthening exercises are simple standing moves that make the muscles around your ankles stronger and your ankle joints freer: standing evenly on your feet, rising onto your toes, spreading your toes, holding Chair Pose at a wall, holding Warrior II, and standing on one leg at a bench. Do them for a few minutes, at least three times a week, with a hand on a bench or chair. Here is the article in short form:
- Most stumbles are caught at the foot and ankle, in a split second.
- Six simple moves train the ankles. You need a bench or chair and about five minutes.
- A 2025 review of 16 trials found ankle and foot exercises improved ankle strength, flexibility and balance.
- Toe strength matters. In one trial, only the supervised group got stronger.
- Warrior II works the ankle muscles that tilt the foot outward harder than six other standing poses did.
- In Darwin, learn them in a beginner class or online.
Last updated: 25 October 2026.
Think of the last time you caught your toe on a kerb. For a split second something saved you. Your foot felt the trip, your ankle muscles fired, and your leg got a foot down in time. That rescue happens long before you have time to think. It is made of ankle strength.
A quick word on Iyengar yoga. Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is the style we teach at Flametree, in Darwin and live online.
Warrior II. Every foot and ankle muscle works to hold the legs wide.
What are the best ankle strengthening exercises?
These six are the ones we teach, in the order we would do them. Stand next to a kitchen bench or a sturdy chair so there is always something to hold. Bare feet grip better than socks. Do the first three every day and the rest a few times a week.
- Stand tall on the four corners of each foot. This is Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Feet hip-width apart. Press down evenly through the base of the big toe, the base of the little toe and the two sides of the heel. These are the “four corners”. Stay for 30 seconds. Ankles that are never asked to hold you evenly slowly forget how.
- Spread and lift your toes. Lift all ten toes, spread them wide, then put them down one at a time with the big toe last. Do it ten times. Strong toes help the ankles, and most of us never use them.
- Rise onto your toes. Hold the bench with one hand. Lift both heels slowly, pause, and lower them even more slowly. Do eight. This works the big calf muscle that drives the ankle. In the 2025 review below, that “plantarflexion” strength was one of the things that improved.
- Chair Pose at the wall. This is Utkatasana. Stand with your back to a wall, feet a little apart and a hand-width in front of it. Bend the knees and sit back as if onto a low stool, with your back on the wall. Stay for 10 to 20 seconds. Your ankles bend and your legs work hard to hold you.
- Warrior II. Step the feet wide apart. Turn the right foot out, bend the right knee over the ankle and stretch both arms out. Press the outer edge of the back foot into the floor. Hold 20 to 30 seconds each side.
- Stand on one leg at the bench. Hold the bench with one hand. Lift one foot a little and stand on the other leg for 10 to 20 seconds. Change sides. When it feels easy, hold the bench with one finger.
Mountain Pose beside a chair. The first of the six, and the base for the rest.
Standing on one leg with both hands on a chair. The standing ankle works to hold the whole body.
Warrior II with a hand on the wall and blocks beside the feet. The ankles still do the work.
Why do strong ankles matter?
Because most falls start on flat ground, with a trip or a bad weight shift, and the first thing that responds is the foot and ankle. Legs matter too. A 2004 review of 13 studies of older people found that people with weak legs had about 1.8 times the odds of a fall, and about 3 times the odds of falling again and again (Moreland and colleagues, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society).
The feet and ankles themselves have been measured. In an Australian study of 176 older people, those who went on to fall had stiffer ankles and weaker toes than those who did not (Menz and colleagues, Journals of Gerontology Series A, 2006).
How an ankle catches a stumble. Ankle strengthening exercises train the second step.
Do ankle strengthening exercises work?
Yes for strength, flexibility and balance, with a limit on what we know about falls. A 2025 review pooled 16 trials with 651 older people (Liang and colleagues, Physical Therapy). Ankle and foot exercises improved ankle strength, ankle flexibility and balance with the eyes open. Toe strengthening, and training three times a week, appeared to matter most. Only two of the trials looked at falls themselves, and they found no clear change either way, so this is a gain in balance rather than proof about falls.
Who teaches the exercise matters, too. In a 2016 Australian trial, 85 people aged 60 to 90 did either supervised toe exercises or the same exercises at home for 12 weeks (Mickle and colleagues, Clinical Biomechanics). Only the supervised group got stronger, by up to 36 percent. A 2025 Dutch trial gave 33 active older adults a 12-week supervised programme for the small muscles of the foot (Willemse and colleagues, Gait and Posture). Their walking speed did not change, but their foot muscles got stronger and they worried less about falling.
Standing tall with a hand on a chair. The weight spreads across the four corners of both feet.
Which yoga pose works the ankles hardest?
In a small study, 20 older adults (average age 71) did two yoga classes a week for 32 weeks, and researchers then measured the forces at their joints in seven standing poses (Wang and colleagues, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013). Warrior II produced the largest demand on the muscles that tilt the foot outward. One-Legged Balance produced the largest demand on the muscles that tilt it inward. Every pose worked the calf muscles. That is why Warrior II, with its feet turned in different directions, is the pose we use most for ankles.
Warrior I. The back foot presses down and the front ankle bends.
What if your ankles are weak or stiff?
Start where you are. Hold the bench with both hands and do the first three exercises only. Spend a month there. Weak ankles and stiff ankles usually go together, so the same moves help both: the weight spreads, the toes work and the calf muscles drive. Bend and press gently, and stop before it hurts. If your feet are sore, our guide to foot pain and strong, steady feet goes through what to do. If your ankles swell in the heat, see swollen ankles in the heat.
Balance rests on strong feet and legs. Our guide to how to improve balance shows how the ankles fit with the rest.
Get the free ebook Strong Bones, Steady Feet. New to Flametree, or away for 3 months or more? You get 2 free classes + 2 ebooks, only available via this offer. Already coming to class? You can still get the book.
Where can I learn ankle strengthening exercises in Darwin?
Come to a beginner class at Flametree’s Woolner studio or join live online from anywhere in Australia. A teacher sees your feet, which is the part a book cannot do. Our Yoga For Bones And Balance pass gives you 10 classes at half price plus 2 free, for new students or those away 3 months or more. Feel free to check with your professional advisers if you wish, but also give yoga a try.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best ankle strengthening exercises?
Standing evenly on the four corners of the feet, spreading and lifting the toes, rising onto the toes, Chair Pose at a wall, Warrior II, and standing on one leg at a bench. All six need only a bench or chair.
How often should I do ankle strengthening exercises?
A 2025 review of 16 trials found that training three times a week appeared to matter. A few minutes on most days is a good start, with a hand on a bench.
Can yoga strengthen weak ankles?
Yes. Standing poses such as Warrior II and Chair Pose ask the ankle muscles to hold you steady, and a small study of older adults found Warrior II placed the largest demand on the muscles that tilt the foot outward.
Which yoga pose is best for the ankles?
Warrior II. In a study of seven standing poses in 20 older adults, it produced the largest demand on the muscles that tilt the foot outward. One-Legged Balance did the same for the muscles that tilt it inward.
Do toe exercises help ankle strength and balance?
They can. In a 2016 trial of 85 older people, the supervised toe group got stronger by up to 36 percent, while the group working alone at home did not. A teacher makes a difference.
Are ankle exercises good for balance?
Yes. The 2025 review found ankle and foot exercises improved balance with the eyes open. Keep your eyes open until last, and keep a wall or bench close.
How do I improve ankle mobility?
Press evenly through all four corners of each foot, bend the ankles in Chair Pose at a wall, and build up slowly. Ankle flexibility improved in the 2025 review of ankle and foot exercises.
Where can I learn ankle strengthening exercises in Darwin?
Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga at Woolner in Darwin and live online. Beginner classes use chairs, a wall and other props, and the teacher adjusts each pose to your body.
Where to next
- New to yoga, or coming back? Start with our half price 10 class pass with 2 classes free, in Darwin or live online.
- For a workplace, team or group: book private yoga classes for groups, online, at a Flametree studio or at your venue.
- Want to see class times first? Look at the beginner timetable.
Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and live online. This article is general information, not medical advice.
Sources: Mickle KJ and colleagues, Efficacy of a progressive resistance exercise program to increase toe flexor strength in older people, Clinical Biomechanics, 2016; Menz HB and colleagues, Foot and ankle risk factors for falls in older people: a prospective study, Journals of Gerontology Series A, 2006; Liang SG and colleagues, The Effects of Ankle and Foot Exercises on Ankle Strength, Balance, and Falls in Older People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Physical Therapy, 2025; Willemse L and colleagues, Effects of a 12-week intrinsic foot muscle strengthening program (STIFF) on gait, balance and concerns about falling in physically active older adults, Gait and Posture, 2025; Wang MY and colleagues, The biomechanical demands of standing yoga poses in seniors: the Yoga Empowers Seniors Study (YESS), BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013; Moreland JD and colleagues, Muscle weakness and falls in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2004; Strong Bones, Steady Feet ebook.
