Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that occurs when the connective tissue along the bottom of your foot---the plantar fascia---becomes injured. Your plantar fascia supports your arch and protects your legs and feet by absorbing shock. But too much stress to absorb can tear or inflame your fascia. To heal plantar fasciitis, it is important to do these exercises which will stretch and strengthen the calf muscles of your lower leg to stabilize your foot and provide relief to your fascia.
Wall or Stair Stretch
If your calf muscle is tight and weak, it places additional strain on your plantar fascia. This exercise improves the strength and flexibility of your calf to allow your plantar fascia some relief to repair itself. There are two variations to this exercise from Heel Your Pain.
Stand about 3 feet from a wall and hinge forward from your feet to touch the wall with you hands. Keep your knees unbent and your entire foot flat on the ground and feel the stretch in the backs of your feet and legs. If you do not feel a comfortable stretch, move closer or farther away from the wall until you do.
You can also achieve this stretch by standing on the edge of a stair so that the balls of your feet are on the step and your heels hang off. Again, keep your knees straight and lower your heels down until you feel a good stretch. Hold these stretches for about 30 seconds and repeat several times per day.
Chair Exercise
Another exercise from Heel Your Pain also increases the strength and flexibility of your calf, and allows you to do it while sitting down. Sit in a chair so that your knees are bent at 90 degrees and put your entire foot on the ground. Now slowly raise the toes and ball of your foot up towards you while you leave your heels in the same place. Hold your feet in the raised position for five seconds and then lower. Repeat until your foot is tired, and slowly build up strength so you can do more.
Heel Lowers
This exercise from Everything About Achilles Tendons helps you strengthen your calf without further aggravating your plantar fascia.
Stand near a wall or chair to hold onto for balance and raise yourself up to tip-toe on the balls of both feet. Transfer your weight over to your right foot and slowly lower your heel down to the ground with your knee straight. Use both feet to return to tip-toe and repeat this lowering process on the right until your calf is too tired. Then switch and lower your left foot. As you do this regularly you will become stronger and able to do more.
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