5 Heel Pain Exercises to Soothe Your Foot

There are numerous heel pain exercises that people with plantar fasciitis can incorporate into their daily routine to boost the flexibility of their feet, alleviate pain, and build muscle strength.

Plantar fasciitis can be understood as an injury, strain, or the overuse of the tissue that connects your toes with the heels, which can be quite painful due to inflammation. This is why incorporation of heel pain exercises is especially important for people who are involved in athletics

Here, we have curated a list of the best and most effective heel pain exercises that will help you to soothe your foot.

Best Heel Pain Exercises to Soothe Your Foot

1. Calf Stretch

Calf stretches are among the best heel pain exercises that will help in loosening your muscles and alleviating tightness. This is because the muscle tightness of calves can magnify the pain of plantar fasciitis.

Here's how to do calf stretches:

Begin this exercise in an upright standing position with your body facing the wall at the length of your arm.
Press your palms flat on the wall as both your feet remain pressed onto the ground.
Next, extend one leg to the back while keeping it straight along with bending the leg in front to feel a proper stretch in your back leg.
Hold before gently releasing. Repeat.

2. Seated Plantar Fascia Stretch

This is also a great heel pain exercise that will reduce your muscle tightness with a gentle massage. There is no risk of getting injured with a plantar fascia stretch, which will help in soothing your feet.

Here's how to do a seated plantar fascia stretch:

Begin in a seated position in the chair before crossing one leg above the opposite knee.
In this position, your ankle will be placed on the top of the opposite leg.
Hold your ankle with one hand while using the other palm to hold your toes.
Next, drive your toes back so that you can feel the effective stretch in your feet.
Hold for few moments before gently releasing.
Repeat on the other side.
Make sure to complete this Achilles tendon stretch in a controlled and slow manner.

3. Toe Towel Scrunches

Toe towel scrunches are also a wonderful heel pain exercise which will efficiently stretch your muscles. Many people perform toe towel scrunches before starting with their morning tasks in order to properly prepare their muscles.

Here's how to do toe towel scrunches:

You can also complete this exercise in both the seated and standing position.
Begin this exercise in an upright seated position on the chair with one foot pressed onto the towel and your toes properly spread.
Scrunch the towel by curling your toes and drawing the towel towards you.
Repeat this movement a few times, and complete the same on the opposite side.
While doing this exercise, make sure that your complete foot stays pressed onto the ground.

4. Heel Raises

Heel raises are also effective heel pain exercises that will stretch your lower body with special emphasis on the calves to soothe them.

Here's how to do heel raises:

Begin this exercise in the standing position with the balls of your feet at the edge of the bottom staircase.
In this position, your heels should be hanging in the air off the edge.
Gently, and with control, bring your heels lower towards the edge of the step.
You should feel an effective stretch in your calf muscles.
Slowly, rise back to the balls of your feet and repeat.

5. Plantar Fascia Rolling Massage

This is also a decent heel pain exercise which will help in reducing inflammation along with loosening the foot muscles. Many sports brands sell foam rollers that massage the feet.

Here's how to do a seated plantar fascia stretch:

You can complete this exercise in either standing or seated position.
Place one foot on a frozen water bottle or tennis ball. Using a frozen water bottle will help in reducing inflammation.
Gently roll the water bottle or small ball to the back and front under your feet.
Begin the movement from the ball to your feet and move towards your heel.
Keep it rolling to the front and back.
Repeat and continue on the other side.

Bottom Line

The above article discusses the best heel pain exercises that should definitely be incorporated into the workout routine to soothe your foot.

The heel pain exercises listed above will provide a multitude of benefits that include strengthening and stretching of Achilles tendons, which will help in alleviating the pain of plantar fasciitis and help with movements such as walking.

Besides the inclusion of plantar fasciitis that stretches into the routine, medical professionals also recommend other treatments based on the condition, including gait training, application of ice, supportive footwear, and more.