Jogging injuries are very common and can strike everyone from beginners to seasoned pros. One area of the body that is frequently injured during jogging are ankles. Few of us think about our ankles until we’re hobbling around, incapacitated due to a strain, sprain or crack. You rely on your ankles every day and you owe it to them to practice sound techniques to avoid injury. Here are some tips on how to protect those ankles while you’re jogging. Before you even start running, focus on lower leg stretches. A lot of runners make the mistake of focusing more on their quads and upper legs, but your lower legs and ankles will need some time as well. You can also work on stretches outside of your workouts to increase ankle strength and mobility. One of the best stretches to try involves standing a on a slightly raised surface, with one foot on the ground and one up on the surface.

Raise yourself up on the higher leg and then slowly lower yourself back down. Repeat this a few times and then switch legs. You can also ask your personal trainer or coach for more stretches that will target the ankle area.

Proper footwear also plays an important part in keeping your ankles free from injury. Make sure that you are using a shoe that is made for running, and not other sports. These shoes will have more padding and will be manufactured to handle the stress of repeated impact. If you are running in just any old shoe, you are greatly increasing your risks for an ankle injury.

Where you jog can also have a big effect on your chances for injury. For example, if you are jogging on a nature path that is not paved, chances are you are going to come across different terrain that may be uneven. If you’re not prepared for sudden rises or dips on a path, you can easily twist an ankle. It’s best to walk a path for the first time, before you run it. Take note of terrain changes and build a mental map of where you should be running.

Jogging on pavement can also be stressful for your ankles, especially if you have injured them in the past. For this type of running, you may benefit from wrapping your ankles or wearing specific braces that will help absorb impact. The key is doing all that you can to protect your ankles from injury. Handling them later on is painful and once an ankle is injured, it may be predisposed to future injury, regardless of how careful you may be.

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Originally posted 2008-08-04 05:14:09. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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ankle area, ankle injury, ankle weights, ankles, coach, mistake, nature path, old shoe, other sports, padding, personal trainer, proper footwear, quads, runners, shoes, sprain, stress, switch legs, upper legs, workouts