MANY OF US spend a large part of our workday sitting. Try implementing a few of these ankle exercises to help increase flexibility, muscle dexterity, and increase strength.

1. Perform the alphabet to increase range of motion – it’s as easy as ABC.

With your foot elevated or with you heel on the floor, “write” the letters of the alphabet. If you choose to elevate your foot, you can simply hold your foot in the air with your leg extended or cross your left leg over your right leg, resting the middle of your left calf on your right thigh.

  • Cross your right leg over your left and repeat “writing” the alphabet with your right ankle/big toe.

2. Tap your toes and listen to your favorite tunes!

    Tap your toes. Sit up straight with your heels on the floor. Keeping your heels on the floor, tap your toes up and down. You can exercise one ankle and then move to the other, or you can alternate feet with each tap.

    • Aim for one minute of continuous, steady tapping per ankle, increasing the time, varying range of motion, and speed of your tapping each time you do this exercise to continue shock the muscles.

    3. Roll your ankles! – not the way you’d injure them lol

      Cross your right leg over your left, resting your right calf on your left thigh. Slowly rotate your right ankle clockwise in big circles.

      • Then rotate the same ankle again, this time counterclockwise.

      4. Seated Heel Lifts – which also may remind you of calf raises.

        Sit tall. Tight abs. With your feet parallel to the ground with toes facing straight ahead and legs hip-width apart or close together. Flex your calves upward until you are on your tiptoes.

        • Be sure to keep your heels behind the ball of your foot throughout the exercise.
        5. Perform ankle turns – with an exercise band, jump rope or old t-shirt. While sitting on a chair, slide a jump rope or exercise band under one foot. Pull-on the left side of the band or rope so that your ankle is pulled left. Then push against the force of the band and turn your ankle slightly to the right.
          • Reverse the motion so that you pull on the right side, pulling your ankle to the right as you push left.
          Now that you know how to do the right ankle exercises at your desk, you can warm-up for your workout later. Keep in good form by wearing Lasso's Athletic Compression Socks during your next workout.