Your feet are made up of over 150 different parts, the biggest of which are your heel bone, achilles tendon, and plantar fascia (the tissue that runs from the back bottom of your heel to the base of your toes). Anything from a silly accident to the wrong footwear to too much running and jumping can throw them out of whack and cause serious pain on the bottom or the back of the heel. The better shape you keep them in, the less likely you are to suffer serious heel pain. You work out the rest of your body, so why not your feet? Try these exercises for relief and prevention.
- To stretch your achilles tendon and plantar fascia, stand on a stack of books a little less than an arms length away from a wall. Lean your front against the wall, putting your weight on your forearms, with your hands on either side of your head. Hang your heels off the back, and stay there for about fifteen seconds. Straighten back up, and gently go up and down on your tiptoes ten times. Repeat on only your left foot and then only your right foot. This exercise also stretches and strengthens the calf muscles, creating better overall strength and flexibility.
- For foot ailments that are particular to the plantar fascia, find a small, round object like a tennis ball or water bottle. From a seated position, roll it back and forth under your foot (or feet), using a full minute to rub the object the length of your foot. Filling and freezing the water bottle has the added benefit of icing sore tendons with your hands free, stretching massage.
- Getting all of the muscles in your feet to be stronger can help not only alleviate pain, but prevent future recurrences of the same issue. Plantar fasciitis (inflammation and tearing of the plantar fascia) can lead to bone spurs if left untreated, and these sometimes require surgical repair. Encourage muscle growth while stretching muscles and tendons in the toes by putting marbles or other small objects on the floor in front of your chair and using the toes to pick them up and place them in a small cup.
- Squats aren’t just to make your butt look good! With a slight rearrangement of the legs, they can strengthen your calves (obviously), but also your heels and ankles. Place your hands against a wall for balance and support, and put one foot a few inches in front of the other. Squat down until you feel the stretching start (enough to be effective, but not so much it hurts you), and hold it for half a minute. Repeat on the other side. You can also bring one leg back, and place the front knee about two inches from the wall, lunge forward for similar results.
- Another good stretch for the plantar fascia involves taking a seat on the floor and stretching your legs out in front of you. One at a time, bring your knees to about chest level, leaving your heel on the floor with the toes pointing comfortably at about a fortyfive degree angle. Grab your toes and the ball of your foot and pull towards you, stretching the tissue along the bottom of the foot.
