When I do my walking for exercise (about 1 1/2 mile at moderate pace), my ankles feel like giving out. They burn, and then outright hurt. I think that I could walk a lot more is it weren't for ankle pain. I tried aerobics (light) briefly, but I had the same issues with my darn ankles.

So my question is, should I wrap them up and keep going? Will wrapping them actually help, and what do I wrap them with? (Ace bandage?)

Thanks!
FerretNose

your ankle pain could be the result of a bunch of different things and wrapping them may help. But you may just have to strengthen them a bit.

I've strengthened my ankles by doing one legged squats on a rocker board/wobble board. They weren't full squats but it worked.

They may have boards like this at your gym, if not here's a link to were you can get one. They're not cheap. http://www.bodytrends.com/products/balance/wobbleboard.htm

Are you just getting started? If so, take a day or two off in between walks to let your legs/ankles rest and heal.

Also, are you wearing good shoes? They can make a world of difference.

Have you ever injured your ankle(s)? I've had two major sprains to my right ankle and a one minor sprain to my left. Most of the time, my right ankle hurts due to the previous major injuries (tendinitis, arthritis) and thats to be expected. My left ankle, on occasion, gets a little sore too. When it does, I wear a neoprene brace for added stability and it works like a charm. The soreness is reduced right away.

I suppose in a way I did have an ankle injury at one time. I also know that my ankles were weak even as a pre-teen. Ages 11-13, I danced in toe shoes (the ballet shoes where you stand on pointe) and I was awful at it, because my ankles would give out. Probably I shouldn't have been allowed on them. One day when I was on pointe my right ankle just went out, and it hurt like hell. I was unable to walk on it for a week. That's when I quit ballet- I'm not a graceful sort, anyway. I didn't go to the doctor for it, but I guess it was a mild sprain. That's the ankle that always hurts first and worst.

I'm going to take all advice given so far on this matter. I don't want a silly thing like ankles standing in my way. I'm going to wrap them, and rest in between, and possibly do some ankle strengthening excercises. I think my shoes are pretty good for what I could afford. They're Dr. Sholl's. My husband says that if he sees me sticking with this for at least a month, I can get any shoes I want, no matter the price. (He's been burnt before, buying me expensive stuff for new hobbies/activities that I didn't stick with.) So I'll do a lot of research on shoes before i buy any. I know more pricey doesn't necessarily mean better.

Regards,
F.