For exercises that stretch your feet and calves for the purpose of relieving heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis, an elevated surface like a stair will make your stretches deeper. Tight calves and Achilles tendons reduce flexibility, so stretching is part of recovery. You may also make your feet stronger with plantar fasciitis exercises on a stair.
Calf Stretching with Stair
The calf stretching exercise targets the gastrocnemius muscle of the calves, but it also stretches the fascia, or connective tissue, in the lower leg. To perform this exercise, stand facing a stairway. Place your left foot on the first step with your heel hanging over the edge. Do this with your right foot instead if that's the hurt foot. Straighten your left leg as you step your right foot up a few stairs and bend your right knee. How far you step depends on the length of your legs and flexibility. Hold the railing and wall for balance. Once you reach a distance that you feel a stretch in your left calf, press your left heel down slightly below the stair to deepen the stretch. Hold and repeat.
Achilles Tendon Stretch
The Achilles tendon stretch targets the tendon that runs down the back of your lower leg and ankle. A stair allows you to drop your heels down to get a stretch. To perform the Achilles tendon stretch, stand with both feet on a stair and your heels off the edge. Hold onto the rail. Drop both your heels toward the floor without lifting your toes or leaning backwards. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds and repeat.
Toe Grasping
Toe grasping is a strengthening exercise for your toes and feet. This exercise eventually can be done walking by using the strength of your toes to pull yourself across a floor like a soldier using their arms to army crawl across the ground, but first you should practice toe grasping with a stair. Making the plantar fascia and surrounding structures in your lower legs stronger lessens stress on the fascia. Less stress means less chance of plantar fasciitis. To perform toe grasping, take off your shoes and stand in front of a stair. Place the ball of your right foot on the edge of the stair. Then, curl your toes down to grasp the edge of the stair, using resistance from the stair to strengthen your toes. Perform the desired number of reps. Repeat with the left foot. You can slide your foot up as your toes get stronger so that you must curl your toes through a greater range of motion to touch the stairs. Also, you may stand on the stair with your toes hanging off the edge and curl your toes under to grasp the side of the stairs too. You may wish to hold onto the wall or railing to assist your balance.
