Seated ankle circles

As you get older you naturally lose range of motion in your joints, but particularly in the ankle joint. Ankle circles help increase range of motion in the joint, and they also make walking feel much more comfortable. So go ahead take your shoes off.
To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Sit up tall with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands under your right knee and clasp them together.
3. Use your hands to lift your knee, lifting your foot a few inches off the floor.
4. Inhale and as you exhale, circle your ankle eight times inward and then eight times outward.
5. Repeat this stretch on your other ankle. Imagine there’s a pencil attached to your big toe and you’re trying to draw the largest circle you can. Go slow enough so you draw a perfectly round circle.

A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do sit up tall with your back straight.
• Do support the weight of your leg with your hands.
• Don’t rush the movement.