Seated ankle stretch
Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.
Point and flex your foot to move your ankle. Ankles that move well help with walking and with stepping off a curb.
- Main focus
- Mobility
- Level
- Starting
- Equipment
- Bodyweight, A sturdy chair
- Load
- Your body weight
- Stability
- Supported by a seat, bench or wall
Before you start
- Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
- Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
- Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
- Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.
Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.
What you need
A stable chair without wheels.
How to do it
- Sit tall, holding the sides of the chair. Straighten one leg out in front of you with the foot off the floor.
- Point your toes away from you.
- Then point your toes back toward you.
- Lower the foot and switch legs.
How much
To start: 5 slow points and flexes on each foot.
As it gets easier: 2 rounds of 5 on each foot.
How it should feel: A mild stretch. No cramping.
Make it easier
- Keep the heel resting on the floor.
Make it harder
- Move more slowly through the full range.
Safety
- Keep your back supported by sitting tall.
- Move slowly.
When to stop
- Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
- Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
- Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
- Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
- After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
- You feel a cramp that does not ease in a few seconds.
- You notice new swelling, redness or pain in a calf. Ask a clinician before continuing.
Other ways to do this movement
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Where this comes from
NHS "Ankle stretch": sit upright, hold the chair side, straighten one leg with the foot off the floor, point toes away then toward you, 2 sets of 5 each foot. Steps, counts and support advice follow the NHS page; wording and extra safety notes are Fitafter50's own.
- Sitting exercises, NHS (England) (Last reviewed 18 Jan 2024).
This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.