Can you bike with a sprained ankle? [Sprained Ankle Cycling Rehab Guide]

I was on a long run with my uncle the other day and to ease off of my joints, I tend to stay in the dirt rather than running on the road. This backfired and I ended up spraining my ankle in a rabbit hole. After I got back from the doctor with a small brace, a couple days later I was able to apply pressure to the foot. I began to talk to my physical therapist and asked him – Can you bike with a sprained ankle? I wanted to get active again and that was the only thing I could think of.

In this post I will discuss his response and my story to getting better. How did biking make my ankle feel and also how it did not make my ankle feel. I will discuss how long hat he recommended that I ride, and how long I did ride until I felt better. We will also discuss cycling for general injury recovery and use as an anti-inflammatory exercise. 

Can you bike with a sprained ankle?

Yes, and you should. My physical therapist recommended it and my results were in line. The reasoning is for these types of soft tissues, the best way to regain strength and mobility is through motion and stimulating the muscles during recovery. This advice is given considering that you have a bike that is fitted to your body correctly. A bicycle that is not fitted to your body correctly will typically be uncomfortable, exhausting and lead to bodily complications and injury exacerbation. 

I began riding with a sprained ankle and was very happy. His man piece of advice was to stop if I felt any pain. I did not feel any pain at all when I was riding. I had my full range of motion back when I was walking.

What I did do to be safe was take a month off running. What I did notice was for that month my ankle flexibility had decreased. Once I began running again, my flexibility and some minor pain when stretching my ankles disappeared completely. I will guess that those specific muscles in the ankles that are used for running were not being used while cycling.

How long after a sprained ankle can I bike?

You typically can ride your bike several days after a sprained ankle, resting and icing the ankle. What is most important is understanding the difference between good pain and bad pain. If you feel any bad pain you should continue to rest and ice.

How long should you ride your bike for with a sprained ankle?

I began to ride for about 30 minutes each day and then included a long ride on the weekends. I never felt any pressure on the ankles and could have ridden as if I were training for a longer event.

Is cycling bad for ankle injury?

No, cycling is not bad for ankle injury. Cycling is great for ankle injury because it stimulates blood flow to the trouble area in a kind way while also building muscle in the area. It is extremely difficult to develop an overuse injury in these muscles in the ankle and should not be a point of concern. If you want to be kinder to the body, consider icing and massaging afterwards.

How else can I help recovery of the ankle with cycling?

Consider rest, ice, massage and stretching the ankle for the best recovery standard for your body. If all of this is done in tangent with cycling and kind exercise, your ankle will be healed within the month.

Is cycling anti-inflammatory?

Cycling is an anti-inflammatory exercise that is great for the body, healing and recovery of any kind. The is no pressure that is put on the body, and it allows the body to send blood flow and oxygen to all of the muscles in the body.

Conclusion

From this post you should have the confidence to go out and ride with your sprained ankle if you are not feeling any pain. The most important part is to be kind to your body while being able to understand when your body is asking you to slow down in working out. If your body is in pain, you should not be riding, and focus on rest and recovery. If your body is not in pain, enjoy the workout and consider riding longer.