Ankle Braces: Good or Bad?
A highly-debated topic in the volleyball world is whether or not ankle braces are beneficial. There are many sides to both arguments, but in the end, it is your choice.
Some Supporting Details
- Some ankle braces can help prevent injury in the case of coming down on someone else’s ankle or on a ball.
- Extra support can help reduce wear-and-tear on the ligaments in your ankle.
- Pressure on your ankle joint can help reduce any swelling that results from the tons of jumping and diving that volleyball players usually engage in.
Some Cons of Ankle Braces
- Wearing ankle braces all the time can weaken your ankles. In order to combat this, you should be doing extra ankle exercises to keep them strong. Or, you can play some beach volleyball. Playing in the sand helps to strengthen your ankles!
- Highly constrictive ankle braces that limit range-of-motion in your ankle can cause injuries to other joints (like knees or hips). Constrictive or hard braces are not recommended for volleyball.
