There is no doubt that ultimate Frisbee is big in Ontario and all over Canada. The high school championship series just finished in Montreal in early May, and registered teams are gearing up for the Canadian Ultimate Championship held in Waterloo, ON, in early August. With several divisions including open, women’s masters, mixed, and junior, there’s plenty of action for everyone. Whether you are on a competitive team or just enjoy a weekend game with your pals, take steps to prevent ankle sprains as you leap for the ultimate catches.
Strong ankles resist injury, so to prepare for ultimate Frisbee or any other sport that involves leaping and landing, you need to do exercises and stretches to strengthen them. Some you may be familiar with, like calf stretches, hops, lunges, or balancing exercises. Others your may not know, such as strengthening to prevent inversion and eversion of your ankle.
You can use resistance band strengthening to prevent ankle sprains. Inversion sprains involve the ligaments outside the ankle being stretched too far, as when you land on the outside edge of your foot. Sit on the floor with your legs out to the front. Loop one end of a band around your right foot and the other around a chair leg or something solid off to the right of your leg. Now try to point your right toes toward your left foot. Do 2 sets of 15 repetitions to start with. Repeat with your left foot.
Eversion sprains are less common injuries that affect the ligaments on the inside of your ankle. This time, loop the band around your right foot, but the other end around something to the left of your leg. Now try to point your right toes away from your left leg, and repeat with your other foot.
Chiropodist Tony Abbott is an avid runner who specializes in sports injuries and can recommend other exercises. If you’ve injured your ankle during ultimate Frisbee or another activity, call (705) 444-9929 and set up an appointment at Abbott Foot & Ankle Clinic in Collingwood, ON, today.
Photo credit: freeimages.com via railking