I had several ankle sprains from childhood through college, and then didn't have any problems for the next 20-some years. (...And then 2 years ago I turned my ankle during a run and continued to run another 3 miles on it, which is just plain stupid. But that sprain was mild and healed relatively quickly with proper rehab--which involved a lot of CS for me. Season 10 has a ton of great foot and ankle work!)
But when I had that latest ankle sprain while running, it occurred to me that the big difference in my fitness life was that I'd spent the last 20 years doing mainly aerobic-type cardio, with a lot of multi-directional and lateral moves, quick stops, pivots, high impact, plyos, etc. I honestly think that all of that work was a major factor in maintaining my ankle stability for my whole adulthood (so far), as well as increasing my kinesthetic sense and body awareness (ie, making me more coordinated! LOL).
I had a very severe ankle sprain with torn tendons in college, which was never rehabbed properly (read, at all) and I think it caused some issues with the rest of my leg (cranky knee and hip). When I was rehabbing my mild sprain 2 years ago, I noticed that my injured ankle still had better ROM, strength, and flexibility than the ankle I had injured in college.
Miranda says that the ankle is the strongest joint in the body, which does make sense, given all the work it has to do!
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~Gem
Dux femina facti
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