Ankle exercises improve balance

Simple ankle and foot flexing exercises can improve strength and balance in older people, Portuguese researchers said.

They found that people who did three 15-minute exercise sessions that target key muscles each week for six weeks showed increased flexibility and mobility.

The exercise group did ankle extension and flexion exercises using elastic bands for resistance, and five minutes of cool down. As they got stronger they were given increasingly resistant bands.

The researchers said there were no significant differences in ankle strength or mobility after six weeks in the control group, but the exercise group showed improved strength in the ankle dorsiflexors, which flex the foot upward, and the plantar flexors, which extend it.