Plantar Fasciitis Exercises

These basic exercises and stretches will help you treat plantar fasciitis and build proper foot health. Each exercise you see below can be done anytime of day, however it’s recommended to do them first thing in the morning. Repeating throughout the day as needed.

Belt Stretch:

Take a wide belt and hold one end in each hand. Place the center of the belt over the ball of the foot. With your knee straight, pull your ankle back toward you using the belt and the muscle on the front of your leg. Think about reverse stretching your arch. Pull back and hold for ten seconds. Relax and repeat for five to ten minutes.

Incline Board Stretch:

Take a book, board or other device and place it on the floor about two feet from the wall. Place the ball of your foot on the device. With your knee straight, lean into the wall keeping your hips and legs in a straight line. Lean in and hold for five seconds. Then do ten to twenty heel raises. Relax and repeat the exercise for a total of ten minutes. Do this with the knee slightly flexed for the same amount of time.

Message:

Use some type of tubular device placed in the center of the arch. This should be about two inches in diameter and padded. Sitting with your knee bent to ninety degrees begin to gently roll your foot over the massage bar. Increase the pressure until you just begin to feel slight discomfort in the affected area. Maintain that pressure and continue to “roll massage” for 5 to 10 minutes.

Heel Stretch:

This requires holding onto a countertop or table and squatting down slowly with the knees bent. The heels of both feet must be kept in contact with the floor while squatting. After 10 seconds, straighten up and relax. The stretch is felt as the heels start to raise off the ground. Repeat this exercise 15-20 times. Stretching the Achilles tendon requires leaning into a wall. Place one leg back behind the other leg. Keep the back knee straight with the heel on the ground while bending the front knee. While leaning forward, the stretch should be felt in the heel cord and foot of the straight leg. Again, after 10 seconds, straighten up and relax. Repeat this exercise 15-20 times with both legs.