Physiotherapist's recommendations
6 Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis: Stretching and Strengthening
Jan
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of pain underneath the heel. A typical feature is that the first few steps in the morning or after sitting for a longer period are the most painful. Symptoms may ease once you start moving, but pain often returns after prolonged walking, running or standing.
Exercises can help reduce pain, improve foot and ankle mobility and gradually increase the ability of the tissues to tolerate load. However, rehabilitation should not focus only on stretching. In the longer term, strengthening the foot and calf muscles, choosing an appropriate level of activity and gradually returning to normal activities are also important.
This article describes six exercises for plantar fasciitis, starting with gentle stretching and progressing towards strengthening exercises and slow heel raises.
What is plantar fasciitis?
The plantar fascia is a strong band of connective tissue along the bottom of the foot. It extends from the heel bone towards the front of the foot and helps support the foot arch during walking, running and jumping.
Plantar fasciitis is a commonly used term for pain around the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel. When symptoms have been present for a long time, the problem is not necessarily caused only by active inflammation. For this reason, the term plantar fasciopathy is also used in medical literature to describe load-related changes within the tissue.
The most typical symptoms are pain underneath and towards the inside of the heel, tenderness around the attachment of the plantar fascia and increased pain during the first few steps after sleep or rest. However, not all heel pain is plantar fasciitis. Similar symptoms can also be caused by irritation of the heel fat pad, nerve-related pain or a stress fracture of the heel bone.
If the pain is located mainly around the base of the big toe, where footwear presses against a prominent joint, this is not typical of plantar fasciitis. In this situation, you may also find our article about hallux valgus and using an orthosis to reduce pain useful.
What causes plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis usually does not develop because of one specific factor. Symptoms often begin when the load placed on the foot exceeds the current capacity of the tissues to tolerate that load.
Possible contributing factors include a rapid increase in running or walking volume, spending more time standing at work, hill training, a large amount of jumping, new footwear or a sudden transition to minimalist shoes. Limited ankle mobility, insufficient calf-muscle capacity and higher body weight may also contribute.
The goal is not necessarily to identify one single cause, but to understand which loads the foot is currently struggling to tolerate. Best-practice recommendations emphasise individual education, load modification, appropriate footwear, plantar fascia stretching and short-term taping as part of treatment.
How should you exercise if your heel still hurts?
Exercises do not necessarily have to be completely pain-free, but discomfort should remain mild and manageable. Pain should not increase sharply during an exercise, cause limping or be substantially worse the following morning.
If your first steps the next morning are considerably more painful than usual, reduce the number of repetitions, the range of motion or the additional resistance. If symptoms are more pronounced, begin strengthening exercises using both legs and progress to single-leg variations later.
6 exercises for plantar fasciitis
1. Plantar fascia and calf stretch with a strap
Sit with your knee straight. This exercise can be performed on the floor or in bed. Place a yoga strap or towel around the front of the foot, just below the toes.
Gently pull the foot towards you while trying to keep the foot and calf muscles relaxed. You should feel a comfortable stretch along the bottom of the foot and/or the calf.
Hold for 15–30 seconds and repeat 2–3 times.
2. Plantar fascia stretch against a wall
Stand facing a wall and use both hands for support. Place the front of the painful foot against the wall while keeping the heel on the floor.
As the front of the foot and toes move higher up the wall, you should feel a stretch underneath the foot and possibly through the calf.
Hold for 15–30 seconds and repeat 2–3 times.
3. Standing calf stretch
Stand facing a wall and support yourself with both hands. Place the painful foot behind you in a split-stance position.
Keep the back heel on the ground and the knee relatively straight. Gradually shift your body weight towards the front leg until you feel a stretch in the calf of the back leg.
Hold for 15–30 seconds and repeat 2–3 times.
4. Calf stretch on a step
Place the painful foot on a step so that the heel remains unsupported. The other foot can remain on the step or on the floor depending on what feels more stable.
Relax the calf and gradually allow the heel to move downwards until you feel a comfortable stretch through the calf and ankle.
Avoid forcing the movement or aggressively pushing through heel pain.
Hold for 15–30 seconds and repeat 2–3 times.
5. Towel scrunch and foot-muscle activation
Place a normal towel or paper towel underneath the foot. Keeping the heel on the floor, use the toes and forefoot muscles to gradually pull the towel towards you.
The aim is to activate the small muscles of the foot rather than simply gripping as hard as possible with the toes. Keep the movement controlled and relax between repetitions.
Perform approximately 10 repetitions for 2–3 sets.
6. Slow heel raises – progress from two legs to one leg
Heel raises are an important strengthening progression for the calf, foot and plantar fascia. If symptoms are still relatively sensitive, begin with both feet on the floor and slowly raise your heels, pause briefly at the top and lower them under control.
As your symptoms and strength improve, progress to single-leg heel raises. These can later be performed from a step and additional resistance can be added using a backpack, dumbbell or other suitable weight.
A rolled towel can also be placed underneath the toes so that the toes remain slightly extended during the heel raise. This increases tension through the plantar fascia during the movement.
Start with approximately 3 sets of 8–12 controlled repetitions, around three times per week or every second day. Increase the resistance gradually as the exercise becomes easier.
The exercise should feel challenging, but the heel should not become substantially more painful the following morning. If this happens, reduce the load, repetitions or range of motion.
How should you organise the exercises during the week?
Plantar fascia and calf stretching can be performed every day. Plantar fascia stretching can be particularly useful before taking the first few steps in the morning.
Foot-muscle activation can be performed 3–5 times per week, while slow heel raises can generally be performed every second day. You do not need to perform several different heel-raise variations in the same session. Choose the progression that matches your current strength and symptoms.
A simple weekly plan could look like this:
Every day: plantar fascia stretching and the calf stretching exercises.
3–5 times per week: towel scrunches and foot-muscle activation.
3 times per week: slow heel raises at an appropriate difficulty level.
Continue the exercises consistently for at least several weeks. Plantar heel pain rarely disappears within a few days, and improving the ability of the tissues to tolerate load requires regular and progressive exercise.
Can self-massage help plantar fasciitis?
Self-massage with a massage ball or small foot roller can be used as an additional tool if it temporarily reduces stiffness or makes the foot feel more comfortable.
Place the ball underneath the foot and slowly roll it from the heel towards the front of the foot. Use moderate pressure. There is no need to press aggressively into the most painful point.
Usually, 1–2 minutes is sufficient. Self-massage does not replace strengthening exercises and appropriate load management, which is why it is considered an additional symptom-management technique rather than one of the six main rehabilitation exercises.
You can view suitable self-massage products in the Fiziopreces.lv massage ball category.
Can you continue walking and running with plantar fasciitis?
Complete and prolonged rest is usually unnecessary, but simply ignoring pain and continuing exactly the same amount of activity is not always the best approach either.
If pain increases after long walks, running, jumping or prolonged standing, temporarily reduce the amount of the activity that provokes the symptoms. Runners can initially reduce total running distance, speed sessions, hill training and jumping.
When returning to higher loads, increase one factor at a time. For example, first increase running duration and only later increase pace or add hills.
Your symptoms during activity and the pain during your first steps the following morning are useful indicators of how well the current load is being tolerated. Individual load management and avoiding sudden changes in training volume are important parts of managing plantar heel pain.
What type of footwear is better?
During a more painful period, footwear with adequate cushioning, a stable sole and a small difference in height between the heel and forefoot is often more comfortable.
If walking barefoot on a hard floor increases symptoms, temporarily use comfortable shoes or slippers with a more supportive sole at home. There is no single ideal shoe for everyone, so comfort during and after walking is an important practical criterion.
During a flare-up of plantar fasciitis, avoid simultaneously making a major increase in training load and switching abruptly to a completely different type of footwear.
Do taping and insoles help?
Foot taping can temporarily reduce pain and make walking more comfortable, particularly during the early stages of rehabilitation. Taping does not address every underlying contributing factor, but it can help manage symptoms while activity is modified and an exercise programme is introduced.
Prefabricated or custom foot orthoses may improve comfort for some people, but they should not be used as the only treatment. Current clinical guidelines recommend using orthoses as part of a broader management plan that can include stretching, strengthening, education and load modification.
You can view suitable options available from Fiziopreces.lv in the gel inserts and insoles category.
When should other treatment options be considered?
If there is little or no improvement after approximately 4–6 weeks of consistent load modification and exercise, consider consulting a physiotherapist, podiatrist or doctor.
A healthcare professional can assess whether plantar fasciitis is the correct diagnosis and evaluate ankle mobility, calf strength, foot function and your current loading habits. Depending on the individual situation, treatment may also include manual therapy, taping, a night splint or shockwave therapy.
Best-practice management of plantar heel pain generally begins with education, load management, plantar fascia stretching and taping. If progress remains insufficient, shockwave therapy may be considered, followed in selected cases by individually selected foot orthoses.
When should you see a doctor or physiotherapist?
Seek professional assessment if the pain began after a specific injury, you cannot put normal weight through the foot, or there is significant swelling or bruising.
Assessment is also advisable if you develop burning, tingling or numbness, severe pain at night or at rest, rapidly worsening symptoms, or if there has been no meaningful improvement after several weeks.
In these situations, other causes of heel pain may need to be excluded, including a calcaneal stress fracture, nerve irritation or injury to the heel fat pad.
Summary
Treating plantar fasciitis involves more than simply rolling the foot and stretching the calf. Stretching can help reduce first-step pain and improve mobility, but long-term rehabilitation should also progressively strengthen the muscles of the foot and calf.
Rehabilitation can begin with plantar fascia and calf stretching, foot-muscle activation and double-leg heel raises. As symptoms become easier to control, progress towards slow single-leg heel raises and gradually add external resistance.
At the same time, adjust the amount of walking, running and standing, choose comfortable footwear and monitor how the heel feels the following morning. Taping, self-massage and insoles can be useful additional tools, but they do not replace regular exercise and progressive loading.
References
- Koc TA Jr, Bise CG, Neville C, et al. Heel Pain–Plantar Fasciitis: Revision 2023. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2023;53(12):CPG1–CPG39.
- Morrissey D, Cotchett M, Said J’Bari A, et al. Management of plantar heel pain: a best practice guide informed by a systematic review, expert clinical reasoning and patient values. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55:1106–1118.
- Rathleff MS, Mølgaard CM, Fredberg U, et al. High-load strength training improves outcome in patients with plantar fasciitis: a randomized controlled trial with 12-month follow-up. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2015;25(3):e292–e300.
- Riel H, Jensen MB, Olesen JL, Vicenzino B, Rathleff MS. Self-dosed and pre-determined progressive heavy-slow resistance training have similar effects in people with plantar fasciopathy: a randomised trial. J Physiother. 2019;65(3):144–151.
- Heide M, Røe C, Mørk M, et al. Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy, sham therapy or exercise in combination with advice and customised foot orthoses for plantar fasciopathy. Br J Sports Med. 2024;58(16):910–918.
Related Articles
📖 Why Padel Players Are Increasingly Experiencing Achilles Tendon Problems: A Physiotherapist’s Perspective
📖 BMI Calculator – Calculate Your Body Mass Index
📖 Sport, Recovery and Overuse Injuries
Should I Exercise Even If My Heel Still Hurts?
Aigars Caune
Physiotherapist
Yes, but the load should be adjusted. Mild and manageable discomfort during an exercise may be acceptable, but pain should not increase sharply or be substantially worse the following morning. If symptoms worsen, reduce the number of repetitions, range of motion or additional resistance.
Recommended Products
Fascia balls
Exercise bands and espanders
Fascia rolls
Fascia balls
Looking for More Practical Physiotherapist Advice?
Visit our Physiotherapist Recommendations section, where you will find articles about exercise, injury prevention, pain relief, load management, rehabilitation principles and safely returning to everyday activities or sport.
View Physiotherapist Recommendations