Plantar fasciitis exercises: stretches and an at-home routine

Foot Health

Learn which stretches and plantar fasciitis exercises may help ease discomfort and support recovery.

In this article

If you have plantar fasciitis, you know the pain can show up in everyday moments: with your first steps in the morning, after spending hours on your feet or while working out. Here are the stretches and plantar fasciitis exercises that may help ease discomfort and support recovery, according to the clinical practice guideline from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and other clinical trials.

Plantar fasciitis affects the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the toes. It usually causes pain, especially around the heel. In many cases, it improves with simple treatment.

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Plantar fasciitis exercises

To support recovery from plantar fasciitis, it's a good idea to combine strengthening exercises and stretches.

Strengthening exercises work the muscles of the foot and ankle, while stretches focus mainly on the plantar fascia and the calf muscles.

And here's a bonus: you can do all of these plantar fasciitis exercises at home.

Strengthening exercises

Heel raises

Stand up and slowly raise your heels until you're standing on the balls of your feet. Then lower back down with control. You can start with both feet and, once it feels easy, do it on one leg.

Clinical trials in people with plantar fasciitis have also used a variation with a rolled-up towel under the toes to increase the work on the fascia.

Towel scrunches

Lay a towel flat on the floor and use your toes to gradually scrunch it up toward you.

This exercise works the muscles of the foot, and you can make it more challenging by placing a small weight on the towel.

Inward and outward foot movements with a resistance band

Sit with your heel on the floor and loop a resistance band around the front of your foot. Hold the band to one side to create resistance and slowly move your foot in the opposite direction, without moving your knee or lifting your heel. Then switch the band to the other side and repeat the exercise, moving your foot in the other direction.

This works different muscles of the foot and ankle.

Stretches for plantar fasciitis

Plantar fascia stretch

Sit down and cross the affected leg over the other. Hold your toes and gently pull them toward you until you feel tension in the bottom of your foot.

This is one of the plantar fasciitis stretches that has shown the best results in clinical trials. It's especially helpful for pain with your first steps in the morning.

Calf stretch

Place your hands on a wall and step the affected leg back. Keep that knee straight and your heel on the floor. Lean your body forward until you feel the stretch in the back of your leg.

Soleus stretch

The position is similar to the calf stretch, but this time slightly bend the knee of your back leg without lifting your heel. This moves the stretch lower down the calf.

How often should you do plantar fasciitis exercises?

It depends on the type of exercise. Stretches for plantar fasciitis can be done every day, even several times a day, while strengthening exercises need recovery time between sessions and are best done every other day.

The most important thing is to stick with the routine for several weeks and progress gradually, without suddenly increasing the intensity or the number of reps.

Which exercises should you avoid with plantar fasciitis?

If you have plantar fasciitis, it's best to avoid high-impact activities for a while: running, jumping and sports with repeated impact can put more load on the plantar fascia and increase discomfort.

That doesn't mean you have to stop exercising. Instead, adjust the activity that causes or worsens the pain by reducing its intensity or duration for a while.