Tired of Plantar Fasciitis Pain?
A Better Shoe Won’t Fix It
If you’ve been working on your balance, you might have noticed tightness, weakness, or even pain in your feet.
Unfortunately, foot pain is common.
Plantar fasciitis affects millions of women each year, causing frustrating and even debilitating foot pain.
And that’s just one of a variety of potential causes.
Here’s the surprising truth:
Despite what you may have heard, buying better shoes probably won’t fix the problem.
JUST ONE THING
You probably don’t think much about your feet—until they start hurting and slowing you down.
Your JUST ONE THING to Decrease Foot Pain:
Train your foot strength & mobility
The best way to relieve foot pain is a combination of strengthening exercises and foot/ankle release.
When your feet and ankles are tight and stiff, it can lead to constant pain.
And even make movements like squatting more difficult.
To fix this, you need both flexibility and strength training through a full range of motion.
These three simple moves below will help!
Active Stretches for Plantar Fasciitis
- Ankle Alphabets – Sit or stand (for an extra balance challenge) and draw the biggest letters you can, A-Z, using just your foot. Keep your shin still.
- Achilles/Soleus Dynamic Stretch – Keep your heel planted as you position your foot far enough from a wall that you can still tap it with your knee. As you improve, slide your foot farther back. Do 10 knee taps.
- Plantar Fascia Stretch – This one works like magic! It’s my top recommendation for plantar fasciitis pain. Do 10 knee taps.
Extra Tip: Every evening, do extra foot strengthening by taking your shoes off, actively spread your toes apart as far as possible, then bunch them up tight. Repeat for 10-15 reps.
Did You Know...
- Most foot problems come from poor posture or alignment (like fallen or high arches), weak muscles, and limited flexibility in the foot, ankle, and leg.
- A strong core can help with foot pain! Better core strength leads to more stable hips and a stronger lower back—where many leg and foot issues originate.
- Try exercising barefoot. Doing even a few strength and balance exercises without shoes can improve foot strength and make your workouts more effective.
Until next week... Be strong
