5 Heel Raise Variations to Improve your Ankle Strength

Ballet dancers spend a large majority of time in releve, therefore it is essential to have strong calf muscles.

Calf raises are the primary way to strengthen your ankles, but they can get boring really fast. Here are 5 ways you can change up regular heel raises to build more ankle strength, endurance and have a little fun. No fancy equipment or weights needed!

1. Work on Eccentrics

2. Add some resistance

3. Vary your speed

4. Vary your range of motion

5. Combine it with other exercises

Strength is always important, but don't forget to work on mobility too. Because dancers spend so much time in releve, the calves can also get short/tight pretty quickly. Need some ankle mobility ideas? Check out this post!

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