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The best exercises for Plantar Fasciitis pain relief

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

Luke Ferdinands

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Which exercises are the best for Plantar Fasciitis? Our answer might surprise you: the best Plantar Fasciitis exercises are the ones that help you rewrite the “pain narrative” in your brain. Let us explain!


We’ll discuss a few specific exercises for Plantar Fasciitis and answer some of the common questions that might come up as you self-treat Plantar Fasciitis with exercises, such as:

  • How to exercise when your foot is already in pain

  • How to determine which exercise is suitable for your pain level

  • What to watch out for when exercising to treat Plantar Fasciitis

Well-designed physical therapy exercises can help you get rid of foot pain and get back to doing what you love. Let’s dive in.

How Plantar Fasciitis exercises work

Plantar Fasciitis is a common condition that affects the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue at the bottom of your foot that connects the heel bone to your toe bones. Plantar fascia keeps the arch in your foot working like a spring, supporting your weight and absorbing the impact of your steps. Repeated stress on this tissue - like running or walking - can lead to small tears in the fascia and inflammation, causing significant heel or arch pain.

PT exercises for Plantar Fasciitis should rebuild strength to support the weakened plantar fascia
PT exercises for Plantar Fasciitis should rebuild strength to support the weakened plantar fascia

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.

Why do PTs use exercises as a part of Plantar Fasciitis treatment?

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.

What are the best exercises for Plantar Fasciitis?

If you are looking for ways to alleviate pain, incorporate appropriate exercises into your daily routine. It’s important to listen to your body and sequence the exercises correctly to put just the right amount of stress on the right tissue. Make sure that you are gradually increasing the amount, level, and complexity of challenges.


Good physical therapists help you with exercise selection, sequencing, and progression. By following the right exercise “prescription,” you ensure that you are doing exercises that specifically address the condition and get you closer to pain-free.


Below are three commonly prescribed exercises for Plantar Fasciitis. Of course, there are more - and a good PT will build you a structured program that gradually builds up your strength and stability.

1. Single leg stand

  • Why it works: It may sound silly, but a single leg stand on the affected foot can be a challenge at the beginning of your recovery process, and it’s smart to start with small steps that work each muscle, tendon or body part in isolation. This is the first exercise you do, when you use our Plantar Fasciitis Guided Recovery Program.

  • How to do it: Support yourself with a hand on a wall, and lift the unaffected leg a little. Form just a small bit of an arch in your affected foot, and hold for 10 seconds before lowering the other leg. Make sure the supporting leg is straight and the hip and knee don’t lean out or in. You can start with 3 reps of 10 seconds each.

Our Plantar Fasciitis exercise program runs in the Alleviate App
Our Plantar Fasciitis exercise program runs in the Alleviate App

2. Eccentric calf raise

  • 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.


3. Small knee bend

  • Why it works: This is a more advanced Plantar Fasciitis exercise - in that it works the whole chain of movement from your foot all the way up to your hip. Small knee bend helps strengthen the entire kinetic chain as one coherent unit, much like how it works when you walk or run in real life. Before you move onto this more complex exercise, make sure you’ve strengthened each body part to do this advanced exercise safely. In our Guided Recovery Program, you’ll spend the first three levels building up strength toward this exercise.
  • How to do it: Hold onto a wall or a doorway. Slowly bend your knee on the affected side to 30 degrees, down for three counts, up for one, for 10 reps total. Focus on pushing your weight through your heel and standing tall without bending forward.

Should I do strengthening exercises, or stretching for Plantar Fasciitis?

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.

How do you exercise when you have pain?

In short, you shouldn’t. Don’t exercise through pain - doing so will worsen your condition and end up teaching your brain that movements equal pain. This pain narrative hinders your recovery.


So, if you have severe pain, get your pain under control first with soft tissue mobilization (targeted massage to release tension and promote healing - use our Plantar Fasciitis massager!) and load management (reducing the load going through your arch by taping or using our Plantar Fasciitis Brace) in your day-to-day activities.


(Here's the science behind Plantar Fasciitis massage.)


You can also do your exercises wearing a brace if you need to. That way, you can keep working on rebuilding your strength while giving your aggravated tissue enough support and protection to avoid triggering pain.

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.

How do you know which exercise is right for your pain level?

The tricky part of setting up an effective Plantar Fasciitis exercise routine is knowing which ones to do, when.


This is where the concept of focusing on one part of the kinetic chain comes in.


  1. Start with simpler exercises targeting a specific part of your body in isolation.
  2. Gradually work up to more complex movements that engage multiple body parts in the interconnected chain of your foot, ankle, calf, leg, hip, and glute.

This gradual progression not only helps prevent injury but also ensures that you build a solid foundation for more challenging exercises as you get closer and closer to pain-free.


If you are unsure where to start or where to go next, consider using the Plantar Fasciitis Guided Recovery Program. The six-level program takes all the guesswork out of structuring your Plantar Fasciitis exercises to facilitate recovery. With guidance and coaching from a seasoned physical therapist, we make sure each step you take on your recovery journey gets you that much closer to pain-free.


Lifetime access for less than the cost of one single visit at many PT offices, we think it's a worthwhile investment in your health and happiness!

What should I avoid when exercising to treat Plantar Fasciitis?

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:

1. Overdoing it

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.

2. Reinforcing the pain narrative

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.

3. Not seeing the progress you’ve made

Plantar Fasciitis recovery can be a long process with a mix of progress and plateaus, and it’s easy to get frustrated. So it’s important to recognize the signs of healing and recovery. Don’t forget to track your progress through regular evaluation of your pain level and plantar function so you can recognize how far you’ve come, and continue healing at your own pace.


Being intentional about the load your tissue is taking, and keeping a log also gives you data to work with. What you can’t do right now without pain can become your next goal.

Use the Alleviate App or a journal to keep track of your progress
Use the Alleviate App or a journal to keep track of your progress

How often should I exercise for Plantar Fasciitis, and for how long?

We recommend working through your Plantar Fasciitis exercises every day.


It might seem like a lot to commit to, but each day’s routine shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes. Going to a physical therapist’s office every day is impractical for most people, but luckily, with the right tools that replicate this gold standard of care, it’s possible to treat Plantar Fasciitis at home, where 10-15 minutes every day gives you the great consistency boost without the logistical headaches.

Doing Plantar Fasciitis exercises every day is easy with Alleviate
Doing Plantar Fasciitis exercises every day is easy with Alleviate's at-home program

Access PT exercise program for Plantar Fasciitis at home

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.

Key Takeaways for your recovery

Rewrite the Pain Narrative: Exercises help retrain your brain to associate movement with positive experiences, reducing the fear and discomfort of pain.

Strengthen the Kinetic Chain: Effective exercises target not just the foot but also the calf, leg, hip, and glutes, reducing stress on the plantar fascia and preventing recurrences.

Use Progressive Strengthening: Start with simple movements and increase complexity over time to build strength safely and effectively.

Consider the Guided Recovery Program: the program gives you a clear roadmap for recovery, with a daily to-do list, follow-along videos, and expert coaching. It's Plantar Fasciitis, Simplified.

Bring home the Plantar Fasciitis treatment that works

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!

Luke Ferdinands, physical therapist and Alleviate co-founder

Luke Ferdinands, Physical Therapist & Co-Founder


A New Zealand-trained physical therapist with over 20 years of experience, Luke developed the Alleviate Method to bring the gold standard of physical therapy care to everyone's home. Luke leads the development of physical tools and digital physical therapy content, focusing on driving clinical outcomes for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions like Tennis Elbow, Plantar Fasciitis, Runner's Knee, and more.