Plantar Fascia Stretching Exercises

Plantar fascia stretching exercises are useful in preventing many heel injuries or heel pain. There are many simple movements that you can do to improve the strength and flexibility of your foot. You can do the exercises to simply strengthen and stretch, but also to treat heel pain, as well as a preventive measure to avoid injuries.

Stretching and Strengthening

• Most plantar fascia exercises are simple; they involve simple movements of your foot that will help to improve your ankle and calf muscles. By stretching your plantar fascia, you are also making it stronger. You can divide your exercise goals into two segments: stretching and strengthening.

  Stretching your plantar fascia is a valuable exercise, especially when you engage in physical activities that involve running. Your plantar fascia is positioned at bottom of your foot, and it runs the length of your foot, from your heel bone to your toes. When you are running, it undergoes sudden lengthening and shortening as your feet lands on the ground. This elastic movement of stretching and retracting requires the plantar fascia to be flexible enough to handle such stress and impact. This is why stretching your plantar fascia can help you to prevent injuries.

  Strengthening your plantar fascia should be your second goal. Your strategy should be to strengthen not only the fascia, but also its surrounding muscles. By improving the structures in your feet and legs that work with the fascia during movement, you are decreasing your chances of ankle injuries and joint pains. Focus on plantar fascia exercises that also target your calf muscles. This is an excellent way to treat and reduce any heel pain you may have. When the surrounding muscles and ligaments near the fascia, such as the calf, become weak or tense, it will only add more strain to your foot, so it is important to pay attention to the other surrounding areas as well (the Achilles tendon, your ankle. etc.).

  When doing these exercises, start slowly and do simple and gentle movements that will increase your plantar fascia's flexibility and strength. Increase the intensity level gradually. It is also a good idea to do so before and after your workouts or activities such as running or playing tennis or racquetball.

Exercises

• Begin with simple stretching exercises for your plantar fascia, such as the plantar flexion and the dorsiflexion. Both involve simple movements that you can do anytime and anywhere. Plantar flexion occurs when you stretch your foot or toes downward. Dorsiflexion is the opposite movement of this--it occurs when you turn your foot or your toes upward. Both movements aid in stretching not only your fascia, but also your ankles and lower leg muscles.

  You can also do a simple plantar fascia stretching exercise with the use of a tennis ball or a rolling pin. Do this by sitting down and using a tennis ball to roll along the bottom of your feet in a gentle manner. Doing this regularly will effectively stretch your plantar fascia ligament.

  For strengthening, you can start with exercises such as toe grasping and toe walking with opposite-ankle dorsiflexion. Toe grasping involves standing barefoot, with your feet hip-width apart, and curling the toes of your right and left foot down, alternatively. Curl your toes as if you were grasping something with them. Do as many repetitions as you are comfortable with. Toe walking with opposite-ankle dorsiflexion is when you stand barefoot for as tall as you can on your toes. Balance yourself, then start walking forward with slow and small steps. Do this carefully, and don't forget to dorsiflex your ankle and your toes while moving your leg upward as high as you can. Do short distances and increase intensity based on your own comfort level.