Plantar fasciitis sweeps you off your feet and prevents you from engaging in your normal workout. The debilitating condition benches about two million Americans each year, according to American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and it's the most common cause of pain in the bottom of the heel. Ease into your workout routine to avoid injuring your foot again. A gentle return to a workout routine speeds recovery, getting you back on your feet sooner.
Step 1
Rest until your injury is not painful. Avoid all unnecessary activity to reserve your foot health for the workout. Aggravating the fascia lining the bottom of your foot will cause the pain of plantar fasciitis to return.
Step 2
Reduce your caloric intake to avoid weight gain during your recovery. Obesity increases stress on the bottoms of your feet, aggravating pain and reducing recovery time. Calculate caloric intake based on a sedentary lifestyle caused by plantar fasciitis.
Step 3
Schedule your workout later in the day. Stiffness from plantar fasciitis is usually worse in the mornings and eases throughout the day. Engage in short sessions of low-impact exercises, like swimming or bicycling, to reduce risk of injuring your feet again.
Step 4
Take ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medication. The plantar fascia’s function is to absorb pressure and strain applied to the bottom of the foot. Excessive pressure damages and tears the fascia tissue. The body’s natural response to injury is inflammation.
Step 5
Perform stretching exercises. According to Sports Injury Clinic, tight calf muscles are the most common cause of plantar fasciitis. Sit on the floor and, using your fingers, pull your toes backward toward your shin. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds before releasing your toes. Repeat four more times. You can also stretch the fascia by rolling a ball or can under your foot. Stand near a wall using a wide stance, with your affected foot to the back and your healthy foot near the wall. Keeping your back heel on the floor, lean in toward the wall and hold the position for 30 seconds before you resume the starting position.
Step 6
Tape your foot. Begin on the outside of the foot, just below the smallest toe. Apply zinc oxide tape down the outside of the foot, around the heel and then up and across the sole of your foot, finishing back at the starting point. Do the same thing on the inside of the foot, starting at your big toe, going down the inside of your foot, around the heel and back up to form a crossed pattern on the bottom of your foot. Repeat each step once more. Finally, add a number of short strips of tape to the bottom of your foot to add structure to what you have already done.
Step 7
Wear supportive shoes. Excessive walking in footwear that provides inadequate support leads to plantar fasciitis and reduces recovery time. Wear lace-up shoes that are flat with good arch support and cushioning.
Things You'll Need
- Anti-inflammatory medicine
- Zinc oxide tape
- Shoes
