As my hunt last week in AZ showed me, and I mentioned prior in this thread, the gym has helped except for my lower leg/ankle stability/strength. Any suggestions of what to do to make that better?
I had a really bad ankle sprain a few years ago, and ended up doing physical therapy in order to be ready for hunting season.
The exercise that helped the most for my ankle was: Stand (barefoot) on one foot for up to a minute, then switch feet. If you can do that, make things more difficult. Close your eyes. Do something to distract yourself - toss a ball from one hand and catch it in the other. Stand on the ball of your foot - tiptoe, one leg squat, etc. Anything that distracts your focus will make balancing more difficult, and that will make your lower leg work harder.
The PT place had one of those balance balls that was also helpful, but I was surprised how much just working on one foot balance worked everything around the ankle. I noticed muscles firing that I never thought about before.
Do as much hiking/training as is practical with footwear that does not support your ankle. Be careful and do not injure yourself.
