Using a Hockey Balance Board to Strengthen Your Ankles

Exercising with a hockey balance board on a regular basis can be just the sort of activity that you need to strengthen your ankles, your core, your posture, and many other parts of the human structure that are crucial for the game of hockey. It takes a lot of ankle strength to be able to ice skate for hours as you do in a game, so the stronger your ankles are, the less prone to injury you may be, and the better your hockey playing game will be. Being able to last the whole game without having to rest your ankles is a great asset.

More than Ankles

Every time that you engage your core,  you are strengthening it. You may even be teaching it new pathways and movements to incorporate into your daily life. When you practice on a hockey balance board, you immediately engage your core muscles and keep them flexed the entire time that you remain balanced. If you continue to balance for 15 minutes that is one-quarter of an hour that you spend strengthening the very core of your body. If you strengthen your core, you strengthen your entire body in the process.

Ankle Strengthening Workouts

There are many ways that you can strengthen your ankle muscles while working on a balance board. If you are working with an injury, or have any doubts about injuring yourself on a balance board, be sure to talk to a health professional before you start. It is always a good idea to get advice from an expert before starting any exercise for a specific body part.

Squats

A good way to strengthen your ankles while using a balance board is to get yourself balanced on the board and centered. From that point slowly do a couple of squats down to where your thighs are at a 90-degree angle with your spine. Stay balanced as you squat down and slowly raise your body back to a standing position.

Angle Rolls

Another great way to exercises your ankles is to roll your board over the roller from right to left as slowly as you can. As you stand on the board, spread your feet out to where they are on the far ends of the balance board. Move your feet and your body to where you balance the board downward on one side, but keep yourself up without the other end touching the ground. Once you roll to one side, switch your body up and bring the board to the other side so that the sides are switched. All the while, keep your core engaged by remaining balanced. Don’t let the low end of the board touch the floor, but keep moving back and forth so you keep your ankles flexed and worked.

Tippy Toes

Another fantastic method for working out the ankles and the calves is to stand on your tippy-toes as you balance on the board. Don’t make it too easy for yourself. Get yourself balanced on your board, then stand way up on the tips of your toes. When you get up there, pause for 30 seconds and feel the burn, then slowly flatten your feet out. Do 10 to 15 reps of this, if you can, and enjoy the burn.

Conclusion

As with any other hockey training aids, the balance board only does you good if you use it. Don’t allow your tools for practice to sit around and gather dust while your strength and your skills fade away during the pandemic. Keep moving, stay focused and be ready to get back on the rink when it is time. While the others are sitting around playing video games, you will be fast, strong, and in perfect shape to dominate every game that you play in.

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