Ankle injuries account for 5% of visits to accident and emergency departments in the United Kingdom, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the BBC reported. Genevieve Tawiah, a performance physiotherapist who has worked on shows including Strictly Come Dancing, told the BBC's What's Up Docs? that many of those painful twists, sprains, and strains can be avoided "if you are strong and aware of your foot and ankle and the chain that affects it." Ankles are the body's primary shock absorbers and are vital for balance, standing, walking, and running, she said, yet most people barely think about them until they get hurt.
The foundation, in her account, is a mind-body connection: being able to sense what the ankle is doing without looking down. She suggests starting with small toe movements that change how weight is loaded through the ankle. One is pressing the tip of the big toe into the floor, holding it, and watching the arch of the foot engage — "this will feel like something pulling through the arch of your foot." Another is placing a pen on the floor parallel to the big toe and trying to move the toe toward it, a motion called toe abduction. Strength, control, and balance work can follow: heel raises next to a sturdy surface, rolling onto the toes without letting the ankles wobble or flare outward; walking with one foot in front of the other as if on a beam; and sit-to-stand or stair practice, including leading with the leg you usually ignore. People recovering from sprains may try balancing on one leg while throwing and catching a ball, or stepping sideways and holding the landing. For tendinopathy, chronic pain in the tendon, she said a slow and heavy load matters, such as weighted calf raises on a leg press.
Footwear is the third piece. Tawiah said many people "fall into the trap" of ballet pumps, pointy shoes, or trainers that are narrower at the front, and she suggested imagining the upper cut away: would the toes have space, or would the big toe be pushed over? Barefoot-style shoes can be useful, she said, but only with a baseline of strength and a gradual start. A degree of arch support affects how weight is taken through the foot. Different tasks want different shoes: a flatter sole for squats, more cushioning for running, and hiking boots for long all-terrain walks because they can reduce the risk of a big sprain — though wearing them all day can stiffen the ankle by limiting mobility.
The piece is a physiotherapy explainer, not a diagnosis or a substitute for care after a serious sprain. The verified public-health fact is how common these injuries already are in U.K. emergency departments, and that basic strength and shoe choices are the precautions Tawiah is putting in front of a general audience.