Ankle Rotation

Ankles are often subject to strain due to constant wear and tear. They not only bear the weight of the entire body, but they are also more prone to injuries such as twisting, spraining, etc. The ankle joint is lubricated with what is called the synovial fluid; this fluid forms a protective layer around the membranes of the synovial joint. Ankle rotation or Gulf Chakra is an exercise in yoga that helps to strengthen the joints as well as keep ...

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...the surrounding muscles supple, so that they do not yield to strain.

Steps :

  1. Sit in an erect posture, on the floor, with your legs straight out in front of you. You may support your back against a wall or some hard surface.
  2. Rest your palms on the floor with your fingers directed at your hips.
  3. Now, bend the ankle of your right leg toward you and slowly rotate it in a clockwise direction. You may do this for about 15 times while keeping your knees straight. Then, repeat the same procedure with your foot in the counterclockwise direction.
  4. Repeat the exercise on the same foot again, and then complete two ankle rotations with your left foot as well. Gradually, the ankles of both feet can be rotated resulting in flexible ankle joints.
  5. While performing the ankle rotation exercise, breathe in slowly when your feet are in the upward direction and breathe out slowly when your feet are in the downward direction.

Precautions :

  • Ankle rotation precautions are to be exercised in elderly people, especially those suffering from arthritis.
  • The exercise is to be avoided by those who have had any ankle or foot injury.
  • The rotation exercises flex the joints, and it can be a strain for the above mentioned people.

Beginner’s Tip :

Ankle rotation is done as the initial part of a series of yoga exercises. A beginner’s tip for ankle rotation could be that the person performing the exercise can lie down on the floor as oppose to sitting. With the heels firm on the ground, you can twist your ankles in clockwise and anticlockwise directions for a set of 10 repetitions.

Benefit To Body Part :

  • Improved blood supply to the tissues, ligaments, and joints of the ankle.
  • Increased suppleness of the muscles and enhanced gaseous exchange in the denser tissues of the ankles.
  • Exercise of the ankle joints ensures that it becomes less prone to injury due to sprains or twists.
  • An exercised and flexible ankle joint is less susceptible to attacks of arthritis setting into the joints.

Therapeutic Applications :

  • Therapeutic applications of ankle rotation exercise in yoga include its use in improving the arch of people who have flat feet.
  • The improved blood circulation alleviates the intensity of varicose veins and edema in the legs.
  • Ankle rotation exercises also improve the strength of the ankle joints and help to keep ailments like arthritis and osteoporosis at bay.

Variations :

As such there are no variations for this yoga exercise, apart from the beginner’s tip, which involves doing the exercise while lying down. That said; variations for ankle rotations include movements of the toes and feet, involving flexing of the toes and feet and circling of the feet in clockwise and counter clockwise directions.

Follow Up Poses :

Ankle rotation exercise or Gulf Chakra is a popular warm up or cool down pose in yoga. It provides ample suppleness to the joints and muscles so that any injury due to strain or compression can be avoided. Hence, it can be followed up by more strenuous poses that are part of the

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Ankle Rotation
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