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Plantar Fasciitis: Exercises
How to do exercises for plantar fasciitis
Stretches to do before getting out of bed or after rest
Ankle pump
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slide 1 of 3, Ankle pump,
- Lie or sit on a firm surface with your feet out in front of you.
- Point your toes and feet up toward your knees as far as you can, then point them away from you as far as you can.
- Switch between pointing your feet up and pointing them down.
- Do this for 2 to 3 minutes, 2 or 3 times an hour.
Passive toe stretch
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slide 2 of 3, Passive toe stretch,
- Sit on the floor, with the heel of your affected foot on the floor. Use one hand to hold your foot steady.
- Using the thumb and index (pointing) finger of your other hand, slowly bend your toe forward and then backward. Hold each position for about 15 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
Calf stretch (seated, knee straight)
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slide 3 of 3, Calf stretch (seated, knee straight),
- Sit on the floor with your affected leg straight and resting on the floor.
- Place a towel around your affected foot.
- Hold one end of the towel in each hand.
- Pull back gently with the towel so that you feel a stretch in your calf.
- Hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
- It's a good idea to repeat these steps with your other leg.
Daily exercises
Plantar fascia self-massage
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slide 1 of 7, Plantar fascia self-massage,
- Sit in a chair.
- Place your foot on a firm, tube-shaped object, such as a can or water bottle.
- Roll your foot back and forth over the object to massage the bottom of your foot.
- Continue for 2 to 5 minutes.
If you want to do ice massage, fill a water bottle about three-fourths of the way full and freeze before using.
Passive toe stretch
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slide 2 of 7, Passive toe stretch,
- Sit on the floor, with the heel of your affected foot on the floor. Use one hand to hold your foot steady.
- Using the thumb and index (pointing) finger of your other hand, slowly bend your toe forward and then backward. Hold each position for about 15 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
Calf stretch (seated, knee straight)
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slide 3 of 7, Calf stretch (seated, knee straight),
- Sit on the floor with your affected leg straight and resting on the floor.
- Place a towel around your affected foot.
- Hold one end of the towel in each hand.
- Pull back gently with the towel so that you feel a stretch in your calf.
- Hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
- It's a good idea to repeat these steps with your other leg.
Calf stretch (back knee straight)
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slide 4 of 7, Calf stretch (back knee straight),
- Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall. You can also do this with your hands on the back of a chair, a counter, or a tree.
- Put one leg about a step behind your other leg, with your toes pointing forward.
- Keeping your back leg straight and your back heel on the floor, bend your front knee and gently bring your hip and chest toward the wall until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg.
- Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times for each leg.
Calf stretch on a step
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slide 5 of 7, Calf stretch on a step,
- Stand on the bottom step of a staircase, facing up toward the stairs. Put the balls of your feet on the step. Hold on to the handrail or wall.
- Slowly let your heels down over the edge of the step as you relax your calf muscles. You should feel a gentle stretch up the back of your leg to your knee.
- Hold the stretch about 15 to 30 seconds, and then tighten your calf muscle a little to bring your heel back up to the level of the step.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
Towel scrunch
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slide 6 of 7, Towel scrunch,
- Sit in a chair, and place your affected foot on a towel on a hard floor (not a floor with carpet).
- Scrunch the towel toward you with your toes. Then use your toes to push the towel back into place.
- Repeat 8 to 12 times.
- It's a good idea to repeat these steps with your other foot.
Make this exercise more challenging by placing a weighted object, such as a soup can, on the other end of the towel.
Marble pickups
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slide 7 of 7, Marble pickups,
- Put some marbles, dice, or small smooth rocks on the floor next to a cup.
- Sit in a chair, and use the toes of your affected foot to lift up one item from the floor. Then try to put the item in the cup.
- Repeat 8 to 12 times.
- It's a good idea to repeat these steps with your other foot.
Current as of: July 17, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
