Sprained Your Ankle?

The gym is a danger zone if you don't know how to properly exercise. In fact, close to 23,000 Americans seek medical attention for ankle sprains EACH DAY. That much, yes? It's not that fairly easy to injure that part of the body; it's just so darn vulnerable. So if you happen to find yourself nursing a sprained ankle, try the R.I.C.E. approach.

Rest. Avoid walking around with an injured ankle. Instead, lay it down and restrict movement. If you must exercise, do it with caution.

Ice. Ice reduces pain, inflammation, bleeding (in case of muscle tear), and swelling. Place an ice pack or give your foot a slush bath for 15-20 minutes every hour. However, indications of cold injury such as white skin should tell you to stop.

Compression. Compress the injured ankle with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. Don't do it too tightly so that you don't restrict blood flow to the foot.

Elevation. Place the foot above heart level when you're sitting down or sleeping. Aside from icing the ankle, elevating it also helps reduce swelling because it allows gravity to drain the excess fluid from the area.

Sprained ankles should not deter you from going back to the gym. If you know how to handle it well, you'll be able to get back to fitness training once your foot heals.