Some health problems make it very difficult to exercise because they can limit you from doing specific kinds of exercises. There are often alternatives you can do, modifying conventional exercises to work around your medical problem and help you to stay fit.
Plantar fasciitis is a medical condition that occurs when the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed. Specifically, the fibrous tissue called plantar fascia will cause you severe heel pain, and this is the part of the foot that connects the toes and the heel bone.
That ligament may be irregularly stretched when you suffer from plantar fasciitis, so trying to exercise and putting weight on your heels can be excruciating. There are some exercises you can do that will help too repair and strengthen the ligament and give it more flexibility. You can also strengthen the muscles that provide support to that area of the foot, particularly the arch of the foot. What this does is lower the amount of stress that the ligament takes on.
What exercises are good for plantar fasciitis? We’re going to share with you some exercises you can do that will help strengthen your foot and your leg and that hopefully won’t be too stressful or painful for you. These are exercises recommended by health specialists for people who suffer from plantar fasciitis.
What Can I Do If the Pain Is Severe?
If you start to work out and you’re heel begins to hurt, there are few things you can do to ease the pain. You can ice the area with an ice pack, ensuring that the ice pack does not come into direct contact with your skin. You can also take pain relievers recommended by your doctor, usually a mild pain reliever like ibuprofen. You can also take a rest and use shoe inserts to help relieve inflammation and avoid pain.
What is plantar fasciitis exercises? They can help make your heels more flexible if you use them at the right time, and the best time to do exercises would be first thing in the morning as you get out of bed. They can help you decrease the heel pain you feel. If you’re not sure if it’s safe to do these exercises with your condition, and you have concerns about your health and the pain you may experience when exercising with plantar fasciitis, then consult your doctor first.
What Exercises Can I Do for Plantar Fasciitis?
Before you start any of the rigorous exercises, you should stretch and warm up. This can help improve the flexibility of the plantar fascia and can reduce the risk of inflammation and injury as you work out. That’s what warming up and stretching out is for. It is important that you take the time to warm up properly before any exercise and after any kind of sports activity. This will help protect you from injuries.
You may also want to take a pain reliever before you exercise, especially if you’ve tried exercises like those listed below in this article before and they caused you pain. You can use ibuprofen or other pain reliever as a preventative measure to help stop inflammation and pain before they occur.
Following the exercise, you should ice your heel to help with inflammation and pain.
What exercises help plantar fasciitis? There are some specific stretches you can do that will be of great benefit to you. Let’s talk about a few of those.
The toe stretch, calf stretch, and towel stretch are all excellent warming up exercises that will work your foot and improve flexibility so you’re less likely to be injured. All of these are able to limber up your foot and are great exercises to do before attempting any of the cardio exercises we’re going to cover.
Hand Cycle- What exercises can I do with plantar fasciitis? You can use a hand cycle, which is a piece of equipment that you will find at a lot of gyms. It uses hand pedals to work, so it doesn’t have to affect your feet at all. This is a great alternative to cycling, the treadmill, and other cardio machines. It’s great for getting your heart rate up and keeping it up without working your feet one bit.
Stationary Cycle- This indoor cycle lets you simulate the experience of riding a bike but not have to go outside to do it. You can buy one for your home or go to the gym and use theirs, and this is a great cardio exercise machine. The reason we recommend this even though it uses your feet is that you’re not putting all your weight onto your feet. A lot of your weight is on your hips and your butt, so your feet don’t experience all that force and stress. It will be a lot easier on your feet than activities like cycling, running, and even walking.
Elliptical Machine- The elliptical machine is similar to the treadmill, but there’s less stress put on your feet when you use it. What exercises do for plantar fasciitis? Try using the elliptical for a low impact cardio exercise. This is a great choice for people who can put some weight on their heel and not feel too much pain. You may want to take frequent rest and keep the resistance low to reduce the impact on your feet. You can determine the speed you move on the elliptical and how much resistance it provides, keeping your exercise session under control and protecting your heels from pain.
Swimming- What’s great about swimming for people who have plantar fasciitis is that no weight has to go onto your heel. Yes, you will need your feet to be flexible to help with leg movements, but there will be very little impact on the bottom of your foot.
This is an exercise that a lot of people with plantar fasciitis can do, and it shouldn’t have too much effect on your foot or cause too much pain. You may want to wear water shoes that provide good support for your arches and you want to be careful about walking barefoot once you’re out of the pool. The very hard surface surrounding the pool can be tough on your heels, so be aware of that.
Swimming is excellent aerobic exercise where you can set the pace and you can determine how fast you go and how far you go. It works your entire body, so this is one of the best aerobic exercises you can do when suffering from plantar fasciitis. If you were wondering what exercises for plantar fasciitis can help your entire body to strengthen, to be toned and to stay fit, then swimming is probably the best answer.
Rowing- Many gyms have rowing machines, particularly gyms that are advertised as CrossFit workout spaces. This machine lets you sit down while you work your upper body, building up strength in your shoulders, back, and arms. What cardio exercises can I do with plantar fasciitis that allow me to sit down? Try rowing for a no-impact exercise when it comes to your lower body.
Closing Thoughts
What are the best exercises for plantar fasciitis? You can do cardio exercises and get a great workout that keeps your heart rate up and strengthens your body, even if you have plantar fasciitis. You don’t have to let it hold you back. You simply have to find exercises that keep you off your feet or that are low impact for your feet. There are a lot of exercises like that, and the list we’ve given you is by no means comprehensive.
