The Best Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis & When to Do Which Ones

If you suffer from this condition, your doctor or physical therapist (PT) may have recommended Plantar Fasciitis-specific exercises as part of your treatment plan. But why do PTs use exercises to treat Plantar Fasciitis?

The answer is simple: strengthening exercises specifically designed for Plantar Fasciitis are proven to improve strength, flexibility, and mobility in the affected foot, as well as your whole lower body, relieving pain and discomfort.

Plantar Fasciitis exercises are also key to preventing recurrences, keeping you symptom-free for the long term. This is why progressive strengthening is one of the three pillars of the Alleviate Method.

While you may feel the pain primarily in your foot, Plantar Fasciitis is aggravated by weak muscles and tendons throughout your legs and lower body, not just the foot itself.

To manage and reduce pain, exercises that strengthen the whole chain of muscles and tendons are key. PTs prescribe strengthening exercises for the whole chain to protect your fascia from excessive load and stress, which also helps prevent Plantar Fasciitis from worsening or coming back.

• Why it works: This exercise stresses the plantar fascia, Achilles’ tendon, posterior tibial tendon and more. It also helps strengthen the calf muscles to provide more stability to the ankle and foot.

• How to do it: You'll need a doorway or wall to hold on to for balance. Begin by pushing up on your toes with two feet and then lower down on the affected side for a count of four, for 15 reps total. In the Guided Recovery Program, you’ll see variations of eccentric calf raise as you progress through the six-level program.

A quick note on the terminology: here, "eccentric" means putting stress on the muscles while they are elongated. (Sadly, it doesn't mean exercising with a funny hat on.) Eccentric exercises have been shown to be the best at building strength and muscle mass, so we focus on this type of strengthening moves in our chronic pain recovery programs.

Doctors and physical therapists recommend two general types of exercises for Plantar Fasciitis: strengthening and stretching. As we’ve seen, strengthening exercises are what help you regain strength that reduces pain, improve function, and prevent flare-ups over the long run. But what about stretching?

If you are doing stretching moves to stretch the plantar fascia itself, that’s not likely to help resolve the root cause of the condition. It’s because the plantar fascia is a ligament, which is a type of tissue that doesn’t stretch by nature.

If you have a stretching routine that releases tension in other parts of the kinetic chain that are overcompensating for the weakness in the arch, though, and if it’s working for you, no need to stop! For example, some people with Plantar Fasciitis have uncomfortable tightness in their calves. If that’s you, stretching the calves could help you move more smoothly.

Just make sure that you are also incorporating strengthening moves - these are what change the dysfunctional tissue, and what gets you to full resolution.

Use the same strategy when any Plantar Fasciitis exercises end up causing you pain that goes beyond discomfort or normal post-workout soreness. Stop, and work on reducing pain.

Once your pain is under control, you’re ready for progressive strengthening. Start with low-impact workouts like the single leg stand and eccentric calf raise. Be patient and listen to your body when exercising for Plantar Fasciitis.

Don’t push yourself beyond your current limits. A little discomfort is standard when trying a new activity, but if you experience sharp or severe pain, you should put a pause and work on reducing your pain first. Don't try to push through; it can lead to further injury and setbacks.

Based on the current science and what we've seen at our co-founder's in-person physical therapy practice, here are the three things to watch out for:

Remember that some temporary soreness and tightness after exercise are normal, but don't overdo it. Whether you do physical therapy exercises at the PT office or use our Guided Recovery Program at home, following a well-designed routine, step by step, is the surest way to achieve the best outcomes from your PT program.

One underappreciated benefit of physical therapy exercises done right is that they rewire your body and brain. When you have chronic pain, the body starts moving in different ways to cope with pain, as well as the ever-present fear of more pain. It’s common for this adjustment to lead to pain and issues in other parts of your body.

When you give your body and brain a string of positive experiences - successfully completing each Plantar Fasciitis exercise without causing more pain, in this case - it starts the process of rewriting the pain narrative. Both your body and the brain regain the belief that movements aren’t painful and scary. Confidence regained, your body starts moving in a healthier way that protects you from recurrences.

This need to rewrite the pain narrative is another reason it’s key to sequence the exercises properly and listen to your body, as you move toward full recovery.

Our Guided Recovery Program puts everything together in a structured daily routine, designed to be accessible at home with no specialized equipment - and brings it to the palm of your hand, in the Alleviate App.

The structure of the program gradually progresses you through pain reduction and strength building. Think of it like ingredients and a recipe: individual Plantar Fasciitis exercises are the ingredients, but you also need the recipe to put them together properly.

Follow clear video instructions through the self-paced, six-level program to eliminate foot pain, rebuild strength through the kinetic chain, and prevent flare-ups for the long run. You'll have the clarity each day, and we'll be with you every step of the way.

Alleviate was founded by a patient-and-clinician duo to bring the effective chronic pain treatment from physical therapy offices to everyone's home. With our Plantar Fasciitis System 2, that includes the Guided Recovery Program, you can use the Alleviate Method to recover from Plantar Fasciitis at home. No physical therapy appointments required!