Ankle sprain prevention exercises.
The ankle sprain is the most common injury in girls’ court and field sports — and the most preventable. Here is the balance, strength, and support routine that keeps first sprains from becoming chronic instability.
Four ways the ankle goes wrong
One mechanism — a loaded, rolled ankle — with four very different consequences depending on what happens next.
Lateral ankle sprain
The classic rolled ankle: landing on another player's foot or cutting on an uneven surface. It is the most common injury in youth court and field sports, and the one most likely to come back.
Recurrent sprains
A first sprain that returns to sport without balance retraining leaves the joint's position sense blunted. Repeat sprains are the rule, not the exception — which is why rehab quality matters more than rest length.
High ankle sprain
A twisting injury to the ligaments between the two lower-leg bones. Less common, slower to heal, and easy to miss — pain above the ankle joint that worsens with rotation needs a clinician early.
Chronic instability
The long-term cost of untreated sprains: an ankle that gives way during cutting and landing. Balance training after the first injury is the single biggest lever against it.
Six ankle sprain prevention exercises
Balance first, strength second, game-speed hops last. Two minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
Single-leg balance with reach
3 × 30 sec each legThe foundation. Balancing on one leg retrains the sensors in the ankle that fire before a roll happens — the mechanism behind every successful sprain-prevention trial.
Balance board or wobble work
3 × 45 sec, twice weeklyA prospective trial of balance board training cut ankle sprain recurrence substantially. Wobble surfaces amplify the corrective work the ankle has to do.
Calf raises, straight and bent knee
3 × 15, progress to single legCalf strength controls how fast the ankle rocks forward and side to side on landing. Slow lowers build the eccentric capacity that absorbs a bad step.
Resistance-band inversion & eversion
3 × 12 each directionTrains the small muscles along the outside of the lower leg that actively resist the rolling motion itself.
Single-leg hop and stick, all directions
3 × 5 each legForward, lateral, and diagonal hops teach the ankle to stabilize under game-speed load, not just standing still.
Hill or stair hops (late stage)
2 × 10, only once pain-freeThe bridge back to sport. An ankle that cannot hop up stairs pain-free is not ready for cutting in a game.
What an ankle-safe week looks like
Two minutes inside the warm-up, a short strength block twice a week, and a real plan for the athletes who have already sprained.
Every practice
Two minutes of single-leg balance inside the existing warm-up — eyes forward first, then reaching or catching a ball to add distraction.
Twice weekly
The strength block: calf raises, band work, and hop-and-stick after practice while athletes are warm.
After any sprain
Balance retraining starts as soon as weight-bearing is comfortable, not after the swelling is fully gone. Early loading shortens the total timeline.
For high-risk athletes
A prior sprain or a history of rolling ankles earns lace-up bracing or taping for games — external support reduces recurrence while the balance work rebuilds the joint.
How stable are her ankles?
Five questions, answered on your device. The result points at the part of this routine to start tonight.
Check your risk
1.Has she sprained an ankle before?
2.Can she balance on one leg for 30 seconds with her eyes closed?
3.Does she do any balance or ankle-strength work each week?
4.Does her ankle ever feel like it might 'give way' on uneven ground?
5.Does she tape or brace for games after a previous sprain?
Answer all 5 questions to see your result. Nothing is stored or sent — this check runs entirely on your device.
Frequently asked
What exercises prevent ankle sprains?
Single-leg balance, wobble-board work, calf raises, resistance-band inversion and eversion, and multi-direction hop-and-stick drills. A balance training program in high school athletes reduced ankle sprain risk meaningfully, especially in athletes with no prior injury.
Do ankle braces actually work?
Yes — for athletes who have already sprained. An overview of systematic reviews found external supports (braces and taping) reduce recurrence, while balance and strength training reduces both first-time and repeat sprains. The best plan uses both.
How long does a sprained ankle take to heal?
Mild sprains often tolerate running within one to two weeks; moderate sprains take three to six. The timeline that matters is functional: full single-leg balance, pain-free hopping in all directions, and no giving-way sensation — not just the absence of swelling.
Should my daughter play through a mild sprain?
Playing through a fresh sprain is how one sprain becomes five. Even mild sprains blunt the ankle's position sense for weeks, and returning before balance is retrained is the strongest predictor of the next one.
Why do the same athletes keep spraining the same ankle?
The ligaments heal faster than the nervous system recalibrates. Without balance retraining, the protective reflex that rights the ankle mid-roll stays slow — so the athlete feels fine walking but rolls the ankle again under game speed.
A note on scope. G-MIP is an education-first initiative, not a medical provider. This page covers prevention and general return-to-sport principles. An athlete with a current sprain, pain above the ankle joint, or a joint that keeps giving way should be evaluated by her own clinician.
Ankle risk looks different in every sport
The same balance and strength work, applied to the actions each sport actually demands.
Where to go next
Every claim, sourced
6 peer-reviewed sources. Each links to its PubMed record so you can read the original.
- 1
Verhagen E, van der Beek A, Twisk J, Bouter L, Bahr R, van Mechelen W. The effect of a proprioceptive balance board training program for the prevention of ankle sprains: a prospective controlled trial. Am J Sports Med. 2004;32(6):1385-1393.
PubMed 15310562 - 2
McGuine TA, Keene JS. The effect of a balance training program on the risk of ankle sprains in high school athletes. Am J Sports Med. 2006;34(7):1103-1111.
PubMed 16476915 - 3
Doherty C, Bleakley C, Delahunt E, Holden S. Treatment and prevention of acute and recurrent ankle sprain: an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(2):113-125.
PubMed 28053200 - 4
Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(11):871-877.
PubMed 24100287 - 5
Emery CA, Roy TO, Whittaker JL, Nettel-Aguirre A, van Mechelen W. Neuromuscular training injury prevention strategies in youth sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(13):865-870.
PubMed 26084526 - 6
Gabbett TJ. The training—injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder? Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(5):273-280.
PubMed 26758673