How to Protect Ankles While Walking

Ankles are often forgotten but just as important as feet.

While we easily remember to protect our feet while walking, we sometimes forget about our ankles. Those fine body parts can be scratched up, twisted or even broken unless we take some precautions. You can protect your ankles while walking with a few simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• Quality shoes or boots
• Socks
• Bug spray (if applicable)

Instructions

1. Wear sturdy shoes meant for the purpose that also provide ankle support. Hiking in the woods should merit boots that cover the ankle area while walking shoes should cascade gently below it.

2. Make sure the shoes fit. Not all cuts of shoe will properly cover or go below the ankle, thereby rubbing your ankle bones and giving you blisters or even cut your skin.

3. Choose socks that cover the ankles. While footies may look cute, they don’t do much for protecting the ankle skin.

4. Watch where you’re walking. Beware of sharp objects that can rip into ankle bone, narrow paths with brambles that scratch you up or slippery surfaces that are begging you to twist your ankles.

5. Apply bug spray. For some strange reasons, mosquitoes and other biting insects like to attack the ankles. Don’t let them.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your stride is wide enough that your ankles don’t crash into each other.