How do you keep from spraining the same ankle again?

Short answer

Balance training. People who did 8 weeks of balance training at home after a sprain had a 22% repeat rate within 1 year, 35% lower than the 33% in those who did not. A brace worn during sports also cut repeat sprains.

How do you keep from spraining the same ankle again?
'Swelling gone = fully healed' — does this formula hold?
After an ankle sprain, it is easy to rest, ice it, and call it done once the swelling is gone. But sprained ankles often get sprained again. We checked how often that happens and what cut the risk.
How often does it happen again?
More than 4 in 10 sprained it again
Among 30,910 people treated for an ankle sprain and tracked over 5 years, 44.2% sprained it at least once more. Of 266 people who got only usual care after a sprain, 33% sprained it again within 1 year.
8 weeks of balance training at home
Repeat sprains fell by 35%
Of 522 people who had sprained an ankle within the past 2 months, half added an 8-week balance program done alone at home to usual care. Over 1 year, 22% sprained again versus 33% without it, a 35% lower risk. For every 9 people who trained, 1 repeat sprain was prevented.
Pooled studies agreed
36% fewer sprains in people with a past sprain
In an analysis that pooled 7 studies with 3,726 people, balance training cut ankle sprains by 35%, and by 36% in the 1,542 people who had sprained before. A 2026 analysis of 13 studies with 1,476 people also found 55% fewer ankle injuries.
When does the benefit show?
It became clear after half a year
Pooling 7 studies with 1,417 people who did exercise rehab after a sprain, the difference in repeat sprains was not clear at 3-6 months but became clear at 7-12 months. Total exercise time ranged from 3.5 to 21 hours, mostly balance and strength work.
What about a brace?
Wearing one for a full year had the fewest: 15%
384 people with a sprain were split three ways. Repeat sprains hit 15% of those who wore a brace during sports for 1 year, 27% of those who did 8 weeks of training only, and 19% of those who did training plus 8 weeks of bracing. A summary of 46 reviews also found support for both braces and balance training in preventing repeat sprains.
Does a brace slow you down?
Only backward foot speed dropped
28 people tested reaction time and foot speed while wearing a brace. Reaction time and forward foot speed did not change. Only backward foot speed slowed, when the brace was on the non-dominant ankle.
Bottom line: balance training keeps it from happening again
A brace protected you while you played
Repeat sprains were common even after the swelling was gone. An 8-week home balance program after a sprain cut repeat sprains over 1 year by 35%, with the benefit clear after half a year. A brace worn during sports also cut repeat sprains and barely limited movement.