Got plantar fasciitis? Try these five exercises, these mobility exercises will help relieve your foot pain

Plantar fasciitis is painful and difficult to get rid of. If you’ve been struck by that nasty twinge in the sole of your foot, the following five exercises will help relieve your discomfort and get you back out running pain-free.

Plantar fascia massage

Rolling the bottom of your feet with a tennis ball or frozen water bottle is a great way to loosen up tight feet and improve flexibility and mobility. To roll your feet properly, follow these steps:

Sit in a chair with a ball or frozen water bottle under one foot.

Gently roll the ball or water bottle under your foot, moving at a pace of about one inch per second, being careful to apply just enough pressure to feel a stretch (it shouldn’t be painful).

If you find a spot that is particularly tight, roll in that area for an extra 30 to 60 seconds.

Roll for about two minutes, then switch and do the other foot. This can be repeated daily.

Banded calf roller

To perform this exercise, you’ll need a foam roller and an exercise band.

Sit on the ground and place the foam roller beneath your right calf, just above the heel bone.

Wrap the exercise band around the top of your foot, and gently pull your foot toward you, while gently pressing into the foam roller.

Continue pressing into the roller, and gently push your foot away from you, using the band as light resistance.

Keep going back and forth, slowly moving the roller up your calf until you reach the meaty part of your calf muscle.

Repeat on the opposite leg.

Tibialis tamer

This exercise will help loosen your posterior tibialis, which will take some of the pressure off of your feet.

Sit on the ground with your right knee bent at approximately 90 degrees, so that your lower leg is laying flat in front of you.

Place a tennis or lacrosse ball on the inside of your right ankle and slowly roll the ball back and forth, working your way up the inside of your leg until you’re just below the knee.

Repeat on the opposite leg.

Seated plantar fascia stretch

Make sure you complete this exercise in a slow and controlled manner, pulling just enough to feel a stretch but not enough to feel pain.

Sit on a chair and place your right ankle on your left knee.

With one hand holding your right ankle and the other holding your toes, gently pull your toes back until you feel a light stretch on the bottom of your foot.

Hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat three times before switching to the other foot.

Wall-facing calf stretch

Loosening up tight calves will help loosen up your feet as well. As with the plantar fascia stretch, complete this exercise in a slow and controlled manner.

Place your hands on a wall so that your arms are straight.

Step your right foot backward, keeping your right leg straight.

Lean forward until you feel a gentle stretch in your calf.

Hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat three times before switching to the other leg.

posted Monday March 7th
by Brittany Hambleton