Seated Ankle Exercises

Heel–toe rocks and ankle circles for stiff ankles, right from your chair. 10 rocks.

11 / 14Side view of a seated figure lifting the toes with heels on the floor
The dark figure shows the position; orange dotted arrows show which way to move. Front-view pictures work like a mirror: copy them as if they were your reflection.

How to do it

  1. Start with both feet flat.
  2. Lift your toes, keeping your heels down.
  3. Lower your toes, then lift your heels.
  4. Finish with 5 slow ankle circles each way on each foot.

How many 10 rocks

Gentler version

Do one foot at a time.

Who should skip this or take care

Move only in a comfortable range, and stop if anything hurts.

Read the safety check if you have a heart, bone or joint condition.

Common mistake

Moving both feet so fast the chair rocks. Slow and steady.

In the Steady Seat printable plans this move is called Heel–Toe Rocks.

The chair yoga chart

  1. 01Belly Breathing5 slow breaths
  2. 02Seated Mountain PoseHold for 30 seconds
  3. 03Seated Neck Stretch3 times each side
  4. 04Shoulder Rolls5 circles each way
  5. 05Seated Cat–Cow6 rounds
  6. 06Seated Side Stretch3 times each side, hold 2 breaths
  7. 07Seated Spinal Twist2 times each side, hold 3 breaths
  8. 08Self-Hug StretchHold 3 breaths, twice
  9. 09Wrist and Finger Exercises5 circles each way, 5 open-and-close
  10. 10Seated March30–60 seconds
  11. 11Seated Ankle Exercises10 rocks
  12. 12Seated Leg Lifts8 times each leg
  13. 13Seated Figure-4 StretchHold 3 breaths each side
  14. 14Seated Hamstring StretchHold 3 breaths each side

More for hands and feet

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