7 Easy Exercises To Reduce Plantar Fasciitis Pain

7 Easy Exercises To Reduce Plantar Fasciitis Pain

There are a few exercises you can do every morning before stepping out of bed to reduce plantar fasciitis pain. Here are the best moves.

Does your heel hurt every time you make the first few steps after sitting or standing for an extended period? If that’s the case, then you might have plantar fasciitis.

This condition occurs when your plantar fascia is overstretched, resulting in inflammation and some small tears.

The tissue that is affected by this condition is under your foot’s arch, but it can also trigger a stabbing pain in your heel.

Plantar fasciitis is quite common in people who are obese or overweight.

Luckily, there are numerous exercises that can help you correct this problem without any treatment.

In fact, over 97% of the people with plantar fasciitis recover within six months of consistent, non-invasive treatments and exercises.

Below are some of the best workouts for reducing plantar fasciitis pain. Check them out!

7 Moves To Reduce Plantar Fasciitis Pain

Here are seven simple exercises to reduce plantar fasciitis pain without the help of a professional:

1. Stretch The Calf Muscles

Muscle tightness in your calf and foot can worsen plantar fasciitis pain. When these muscles tighten, making the first few steps can be quite painful for people with plantar fasciitis.

Calf muscles tend to tighten when working out, which is why this plantar fasciitis pain worsens immediately after working out.

So, make sure you wear comfortable sneakers that provide proper arch support when working out or walking.

Therefore, stretching the calf of the affected foot can help relieve the pain caused by plantar fasciitis.

For this workout, you will need to:

  1. Lean with your hands against the wall;
  2. Make sure you keep both feet flat on the floor;
  3. Try and bend the healthy knee and straighten the affected leg;
  4. You will feel a stretching sensation in the calve and heels of your affected legs;
  5. Hold this position for about ten seconds;
  6. And then repeat this process twice or thrice.

2. Rolling Stretches

Rolling stretches can help loosen the foot muscle making it easy for you to walk. Fortunately, you can loosen your foot muscle using some simple equipment like a foam roller, golf ball, or rolling pin.

You can also purchase a foam foot roller online and use it every day at work and at home. To stretch your foot, you need to follow the following steps:

  1. Sit on your chair;
  2. Place your golf ball on the floor and place your foot on it;
  3. Roll the round ball under your foot’s arch back and forth for about 2 minutes, and you will feel better.

3. Stretch Your Plantar Fascia

The plantar fascia of the affected foot tends to tighten when you’re sitting down or sleeping because of the micro-tears and inflammation.

And when you start to walk on the tightened plantar fasciitis, your foot develops new micro-tears, which is actually the main cause of the pain.

So before getting out of bed in the morning or stand up after being seated for an extended period, you can try and stretch the plantar fascia of the injured foot using the following steps:

  1. While seated on your bed, cross your injured foot over the healthy one;
  2. Hold your injured foot in your hand;
  3. And start pulling your toes towards your shin;
  4. Feel the tension on the injured foot’s plantar fascia by simply placing the other hand at the base of your foot;
  5. You can grasp and stretch your foot using your towel if holding it with your hand is difficult;
  6. Try and hold it for about ten seconds;
  7. Repeat this procedure twice or thrice.

4. Foot Flexes

Foot flexes can increase the flow of blood to the foot and help relieve the tension on your calf, which in turn will reduce the pain.

The only equipment you need for this workout is an elastic stretch band, which can be found in any sports store.

To flex your foot, you need to do the following:

  1. Sit down with your legs stretched;
  2. Wrap an elastic band around the affected foot and pull both ends towards you;
  3. Try and point the toes on the injured foot away from your body and hold that position for a few seconds before returning to the starting point;
  4. Repeat this process ten times, and you are good to go.

5. Towel Curls

One of the most effective methods of stretching your calf and foot muscles is curling a facecloth or hand towel with your toes.

Try and do this work out before doing anything or walking in the morning, and you will be surprised.

Towel curls can help alleviate the pain you experience when taking your first few steps.

Here’s how to do this exercise:

  1. Start by sitting on your bed or chair with both feet touching the floor.
  2. Place a towel on the floor and grasp it with the toes of the affected foot and curl it towards you.
  3. Repeat this process several times, and you will be ok.

6. Pick Up Marbles

Picking up some small marbles using your toes can help stretch and flex your foot muscle. Here’s all you have to do:

  1. Sit on your bed or sofa with your feet flat on the ground.
  2. And place an empty bowl and 20 marbles in front of your feet.
  3. Start picking the marbles one by one and place them in the bowl with your toes curled.

7. Stretch Your Calf On A Step

Here’s how to perform this exercise to reduce plantar fasciitis pain:

  1. Stand with the healthy feet flat on the step.
  2. And then place the ball of the other foot on the step’s edge.
  3. Then gently lower the heel until you feel the calf of your affected fully stretched.
  4. Hold this position for about 45 seconds and then repeat this process thrice.
  5. You can do this workout up to six times per day.

Final Thoughts

Plantar fasciitis pain is normally worse in the morning when you wake up and get out of bed. The pain can also be excruciating after working out and not while you are exercising.

Luckily, there are numerous workouts that you can do every day before stepping out of bed to reduce the pain. These simple exercises can make it easier for you to walk every day.

But make sure you are wearing well-cushioned shoes that provide the needed arch support and stop doing strenuous workouts like running.

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Affaq
Affaq
3 years ago

Thanks for sharing this wonderful information. I really enjoyed reading it. Keep up the good work.