By Shreya Patel · 6 min read · January 2026
An ankle sprain that prevents you from running for two weeks is the most under-rehabilitated injury in the sporting world. Most people are back to easy jogging by the time the bruising fades and never think about it again — until the next sprain a few months later. Here's the test battery we use before clearing someone to run.
1. Pain-free full weight bearing in single-leg stance — 30 seconds
If you can’t balance on the injured leg with shoes off for 30 seconds without wobble or pain, the proprioceptive system is not ready for impact.
2. Heel-raise capacity — 25 reps per side
Calf endurance is the biggest predictor of re-sprain. Twenty-five clean single-leg heel raises through full range, matching the uninjured side, is our floor.
3. Hopping in four directions — pain free, controlled landing
Forward, backward, lateral and medial. Five hops in each direction with quiet landings. If the foot collapses, the work is not done.
4. A graded return-to-run program — not "see how it feels"
Two to three sessions of run-walk intervals, then continuous easy running, then re-introduction of speed work over the following two to three weeks. Skipping this step is how the same ankle ends up taped for life.
A note on bracing
Lace-up ankle braces reduce re-sprain risk by around 50% in the first 12 months after injury and are a sensible safety net while you complete the rehab — they do not weaken the ankle and they do not need to be worn forever.