In an earlier post, I talked about a few exercises you could do to prevent and treat plantar fasciitis. That post was so popular, I decided to expound a little on the subject. I’m glad you loved the topic, and I hope your feet are already feeling better!
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What is Plantar Fasciitis?
In case you haven’t read my other posts on the topic yet, I’ll give you a quick run down on plantar fasciitis. Your plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue which runs from your heel to your toes. When that band becomes inflamed, it results in plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis causes terrible pain, particularly when you first get up in the morning. It can be worsened by wearing the wrong shoes, by standing on your feet all day, and by some types of exercise. It can also be caused by being overweight, and becomes more likely as you get older.
Treatment for plantar fasciitis is actually quite simple. You should check with your doctor to ensure that what you’re feeling is truly this condition – there could be some other disorder at play, and you don’t want to overlook that. Then, your doctor will likely prescribe exercise and either arch supports or compression socks.
These 5 exercises help with plantar fasciitis
Alright, so now you’re familiar with the disorder. Let’s take a look at some of the best exercises to treat plantar fasciitis!
Toe Warmup
This simple little exercise will increase the flexibility in your feet, and will strengthen your foot muscles. It’s best to use this one as a warm-up, then move on to the other exercises.
1. Sit straight up in a hard chair, feet on the floor. Your feet should be the same width apart as your hips.
2. Keeping your toes on the ground, raise your heels as far as you can. You’ll feel your calves tighten.
3. Hold for eight seconds.
4. Next, lower your heels to the floor. Then, keeping the rest of your foot flat, raise your toes, pointing them to the ceiling.
5. Finally, curl your toes under so that the tops of your toes are touching the floor.
Repeat ten times.
If you can’t stretch your toes very far, don’t worry. Just repeat this exercise three times each week. You’ll notice that your flexibility will gradually increase.
Toe Curls
This foot exercise will help to strengthen your foot muscles, too. But this time, it’s working to strengthen the muscles on the top of your foot. Here’s how to do it.
1. Place a dishtowel on the floor in front of a hard chair.
2. Sit straight up in your chair, feet on the floor. Your feet should be the same width apart as your hips.
3. Place one of your feet on the dish towel.
4. Curling your toes, pull the dish towel toward your heel, which is also on the towel.
5. Then, extend your toes to push the towel back away from you.
Repeat five times with each foot.
If you want to make the exercise a little more challenging, you can place a heavy book or a small weight at the far end of the dish towel.
Pickup Sticks for Feet
This is a fun little exercise which will strengthen the muscles on the bottom of your feet, and it’s a great way to reduce plantar fasciitis pain. You can use any small objects you want for this exercise, but I recommend something like marbles or small, smooth stones.
You’ll need to set up before you do this exercise for plantar fasciitis. First, place a towel down on the floor to keep your marbles from rolling away. Then, place twenty marbles on the towel. Finally, place a bowl on the towel beside the marbles. You’re ready to begin!
To do this exercise, simply pick up the marbles with your feet, scrunching your toes to collect them. One by one, pick up ten marbles with your left foot and place them in the bowl. Then, pick up the remaining ten marbles with your right foot.
Isn’t that fun? And hey, before long, you’ll be able to pick up those Legos your kids left on the floor using nothing but your toes!
Golf Ball Roll
This is a very simple exercise, and it’s going to stretch the muscles on the bottom of your feet. You don’t have to use a golf ball. You can use a softball, hockey ball, tennis ball… whatever you have on hand! You can even use a cola can if you don’t have balls in the house. I choose a golf ball because it’s textured.
To do this exercise, you’ll sit in your hard chair with your back straight. Place the ball in the center of your foot, then gently apply a bit of pressure. Now, roll your foot back and forth – that’s it!
You can do this stretching exercise every day to help reduce the risk of plantar fasciitis. You’ll want to, too! It feels like a professional foot massage! For an even better massage, place the golf ball in the freezer for a few hours before you start!
Sand Walk
This is the easiest exercise for plantar fasciitis you could possibly do. All you need is a nice, sunny beach.
Simply visit the beach, take your shoes off, and walk. That’s it. You’ll strengthen your feet and stretch your muscles. And you’ll be giving your calves a workout, too!
Landlocked? No problem. You can find sand at the volleyball court, the playground or the desert. Just remember that walking in sand is very tiring. When walking outdoors, make sure you don’t get too tired to walk back!
Just in case you want to do your feet something good, please make sure to check out our Pain Relief Compression Socks that are made for people suffering from plantar fasciitis, as well as many other foot, toe and ankle diseases or problems.
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3 Responses
Hi
Is there a money back guarantee?
I have suffered from this condition for over a year and am most anxious to purchase a pair of your supports to see if they help me.
Keep me posted on anything new etc