12 Plantar Fasciitis Exercises And Stretches To Soothe Heel Pain

Marble Pick-Ups is a brilliant exercise for your sore heels. In this exercise, you just have to spend about 5 minutes a session for a few days. Interestingly, you can perform this workout either sitting on a chair or standing to pick the marbles up. 

How To Do:

1. First of all, you should place a bowl or any vessel on the ground. Also, some marbles or similar-sized small stones or balls should be placed ahead of you.
2. After that, kindly pick up each marble using the toes of your infected heel and slowly transfer them to the bowl.
3. Continue the process for about 5 minutes for effective results. You can repeat this exercise several times a day.
4. Make sure you do not place your feet over marbles as it can worsen the pain.

You will be happy to do this exercise as it is the easiest and simplest one to do during your heel pain. You don't have to put on much effort and it happens from your sitting position no matter where you are sitting.

How To Do:

1. To start towel scrunch all you have to do is just lay out a towel on the floor or ground and then place your foot flat on the top of it.
2. After that, you need to set out the towel towards yourself as you scrunch or crease your toes. 
3. While doing this process, your heel should remain in contact with the floor during the whole session.
4. For quick healing, you can do two sets of this workout with each foot in a day.

Another effective stretch for your painful heels is the heel raises exercise. We perform this easily during various day-to-day tasks. However, performing this with sore heels can be a stabbing feeling.

Well, this exercise is quite easy to do and it helps to strengthen your calf muscles which develop plantar fasciitis. As per the fitness experts, you can perform 3 sets of heel raises in a session with at least 10 repetitions a day.

How To Do:

1. You can begin by standing and resting both of your feet flat on the ground. If it requires any support then you should hold onto something for your comfort.
2. After that, you should push up with the balls of your feet and then move towards raising your heels off the ground.
3. Now, you should stay in that tip-toe position for a couple of seconds.
4. Then, you can lower yourself back down. Make sure you do it slowly and with ease. 

Arch Lifts is a unique exercise that focuses on your feet's soles which support the muscles of the arches. You can do this exercise either by sitting on a chair or standing. For your kind information, practicing this by standing is more challenging and may help you heal faster.

How To Do:

1. Since most people prefer an easy way during this unbearable pain, let's discuss arch lifts by sitting method. You can begin by sitting on a chair and placing your foot parallel to the ground.
2. Now you should bend your muscles to lift the arch of the foot away from the ground. While doing so, your heel and ball of the foot should remain in contact with the ground.
3. After that, you need to hold this stretching moment for a few seconds then you can relax.
4. It is better to do this for at least 1 minute with each foot.

Tip-toe walking is a perfect way to address your painful heel. Flexor hallucis longus is the key muscle that works during this walking and it helps you hold an upright right position during the movement. 

Doing this exercise every day for a couple of minutes can strengthen your calf muscles thereby improving the control and stability around your ankles. It also helps support you just like a walking frame does.

How To Do:

1. You can start this by walking forward with making a small step on the balls of your feet. Make sure your heels are off the floor.
2. Keep moving while making balance on your toes. Make sure your knees are straight while walking.
3. You should walk for about 1 minute at a time and repeat this 3-5 times a day for quick relief from heel pain.

How could anyone imagine walking on the stairs with stabbing pain in heels, right? Well, this is not a stupidity but a fantastic solution to your painful heels. Since it is a challenging task to do, you need to be very careful during the whole process.

How To Do:

1. First of all, you should stand on a step with your painful heel. Make sure you put your heels on the edge of the stairs.
2. After that, you should lift yourself on the balls of your feet and then downright a heel raise.
3. While lowering yourself back down you need to be aware that your heels are not dropping below the level of the step.
4. It is advised to do this plantar fasciitis exercise 10 sets a session at least 3 times a day.

Single-leg standing is quite easy to do and the simple steps involved in this workout can be a part of your daily routine. Performing this regularly can help you upgrade your balance and control over your feet and ankles. This ultimately makes it a brilliant physical activity to prevent plantar fasciitis.

How To Do:

1. To do this simple and easy exercise, you just need to lift one foot off the ground and then make a balance on the other foot.
2. You can do this for 5 minutes twice a day for a desired output. 

Towel stretch, the name itself suggests the process and is the easiest one among plantar fasciitis exercises. You can do this either sitting on the floor or on a bed. With just using a towel you can accomplish this goal.

How To Do:

1. First, you should sit down on the floor or bed. Then you should stretch out both the legs in front of you.
2. After that, you should put a towel below the balls of your feet and hold the towel from both ends. Make sure the towel you use is rolled up while being used.
3. Now, quickly pull the towel towards yourself while having your knees in a straight line position.
4. Then, you need to hold the same position for half a minute. This should offer you some instant pain relief, as well as the ability to stretch out your muscles and ligaments on the bottom of your foot.

Toe stretch is quite an easy and reliable method to alleviate your heel pain. You can do this easily and instantly. For quick relief, you can do this stretch two times per session for several times a day.

How To Do:

1. To start, you should sit on a chair or the floor and then stretch out the leg whose foot is affected by plantar fasciitis. Your heel must be on the floor while doing so.
2. After that, you should reach down and pull your big toe upwards and back toward yourself away from the floor.
3. You should stay in that position for up to thirty seconds.

Foot Roller is an amazing exercise to soothe your heel pain. In this workout, you can use a foot roller, a massage ball, or simply an iced bottle. You need to roll that device for as long as you feel comfortable, however, an ideal time is for 10-15 minutes per session.

How To Do:

1. To begin, you should place a tennis ball under your foot
2. Then, roll it back and forth using the arch of your painful foot.
3. At first, you can do this exercise as you are seated (watching TV or eating dinner) and then progress to when you stand up.
4. Along with massaging the affected ligaments of plantar fasciitis, this exercise will strengthen the foot muscles as you control the roller.

Standing Wall Stretch is a must-try plantar fasciitis exercise that stretches your calf muscles, relieving stress on the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia. 

How To Do:

1. First, you should position yourself by standing on one foot forward and the other extended back.
2. You need to keep both feet straight ahead. Make sure you do this facing the wall. 
3. Now, kindly bend your front knee keeping your back leg straight and heel pressed into the floor. This should make you feel a stretch in the calf and the back of the heel.
4. Afterward, you should hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, then only switch legs.
5. You can repeat this 2-3 times on each side.

You can do the toe stretch and flex to strengthen the muscles located in the arch of your foot. Not just that, practicing this several times a day will help you maintain a good balance, stability, and overall foot health.

How To Do:

1. To do this workout, you should sit on a chair or floor crossing one leg over the other. Make sure you grab your toes with your hand.
2. Now, you should drag your toes back concerning your shin until you feel a stretch in the arch of your foot.
3. Then, you need to hold the same position for 10-15 seconds and then you can go for flexing your toes forward for another 10-15 seconds. You can try this session 2-3 times a day for each foot.

Plantar fasciitis exercises are meant to offer you relief from stabbing pain in your heels. However, you may not receive this help effectively with improper ways to do these exercises. 

Here are some of the things to do and things to avoid during such exercises, have a look:

Things To Do:

1. Always choose low-impact exercises during painful heels. You can curl and relax your heels along with making circles with your ankles and feet.
2. Besides these, you are also allowed to do swimming, yoga, cycling, and elliptical cardio during this phase.
3. Likewise, you should pay more attention to stretching arches, calves, toes, heels, and Achilles tendons. 
4. You should stretch out your claves if you are considering running or taking high-distance steps while maintaining a slow speed.
5. A light warm-up is necessary before you start these exercises.

Things To Avoid:

1. You should avoid high-impact activities such as running and jumping as they put more stress on your heels. 
2. You should avoid running and taking high-distance steps for several weeks.
3. You should not avoid taking a rest at this time. 
4. If you feel pain while doing plantar fasciitis workouts, you should avoid them immediately. 
5. Avoid unsupportive footwear during the exercises.

Plantar fasciitis exercises are the best ways to soothe your painful heels. The right ways to do these exercises also help you get quick results. Want to know what are the other benefits of these exercises? 

Here are the benefits of plantar fasciitis exercises:

1. These exercises definitely help you prevent the risk of tearing the muscles of your heels. 
2. Doing these exercises several times a day helps strengthen the supporting muscles. This literally helps to reduce the tension on ligaments.
3. Not just that, these essential workouts will also reduce inflammations leading to quick healing.
4. They also help in increasing stability and flexibility during this painful phase.
5. Since these are simple home remedies, you don't have to spend a lot of money on treatments.