You love playing basketball; don't let an ankle injury take you out of the game. These four tips from your podiatrist at Advanced Podiatry of Huntington in Roslyn will help you prevent an ankle sprain so you can play your best all season long.
1. Wear Proper Footwear
The first and most important method of preventing an ankle sprain is simply to wear the proper footwear. Avoid wearing your worn-out old tennis shoes or shoes that are too tight or too loose, and never play in flip flops or sandals. Instead, invest in a quality pair of athletic shoes that offer great support and that fit just right.
2. Keep the Court Free of Obstacles
Next, make sure you keep all potential tripping hazards away from the court while you play. This includes items such as extra basketballs, jerseys, water bottles, keys and shoes. Watch where you are going, and be sure to look around you before you change directions suddenly. This will help you prevent collisions that would send you to a Roslyn podiatrist.
3. Do Strength Exercises
Basketball uses a lot of muscles, but it doesn't use all of them. Keep all of your muscles in shape by performing a variety of strength training exercises, particularly ankle strengthening exercises, during your work-out time. This will help ensure that the muscles in your foot and ankle are able to support you if you land on them wrong.
4. Wear an Ankle Brace
If, despite your routine workouts, your ankle still feels weak, you may want to consider taping your ankle or wearing an ankle brace. Ankle braces provide a little extra stability that can really come in useful during a game. A brace may slow you down, but that is much better than having to be taken out of the game altogether due to an injury.
If you're ready to make this basketball season your best one yet, you need to make sure your ankles are up for the challenge. Follow these four tips and follow up with your podiatrist at Advanced Podiatry of Huntington in Roslyn if you have any questions or concerns. We would be happy to hear from you.
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