Last week we learned about using ‘Barbie feet’ with your foot in the air when trying to balance – also described as flexing the foot and toes towards you, but then press through the ball of your foot forward (not the toes) so that your ankle is ‘pointed’ but not your toes.
I mentioned last week that I’ve heard this described as Barbie feet because the Barbie doll has feet that are permanently stuck in the position of standing in high heels.
But there’s something else quite important about the position of her ankles. Have a look at these 2 photos. 
In the first one, I’ve lifted up my heels to balance on my toes.
A key benefit of making sure your ankles are over the top of your toes – particularly pressing in to the ball of the foot and big toe, is that it strengths the muscles that prevent you from rolling your ankles.
In the second photo, I’ve lifted my heels and then let my ankles roll out – this is not good. It strains the outer ankle muscles and ligaments – those most likely to be damaged in a classic ankle roll.
If you try this as home, don’t try to roll your ankles out or you might just strain them. Work on keeping your ankles over your heels.
