8 Exercises To Get Your Heels Fighting Fit

We have reached the end of our #PodsHealHeels fortnight, and we hope that we have managed to give you lots of information on what heel pain can be caused by, but, also that we can help you with it! We know that during these times it may be more difficult for you to get to us and therefore, we wanted to give you some exercises you can do until your appointment. These are super simple exercises that need very little equipment (just a couple of things that can often be found around the house) and that can be done super quick! As always if you feel any additional pain with these exercises it is important to stop immediately and rest the painful area as much as possible. These stretches should all be done gently to help ease pain not to cause more issues.

1. Calf Stretches

Stand facing a plain wall, or closed door. Place both hands against the wall at around shoulder height, this will help to balance you and ensure that you are in the correct body position for the stretch. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, step back with the leg that you are experiencing heel pain in, keep this leg straight and bend the front knee. Hold this for 10 seconds and repeat on the same leg 2-3 times.

2. Single Step Stretch

Place the toes and the balls of the feet onto a single step (or if you don't have stairs a couple of big heavy books, or even a brick, ensure it is nothing too high but that you are able to drop your heels without them touching the floor). Hold on to a bannister, wall or a secure piece of furniture to balance yourself. One foot at a time, drop the heel of your foot down, feeling the stretch under the foot. Alternate between feet holding for 20 seconds per stretch and repeating 3 times per leg.

3. Toe Grips

On a non carpeted floor place a small flannel or towel, keeping the whole of your foot on the ground, grip the flannel with your toes and scrunch it towards you, this should be a small movement with just the tip of the toes moving, once you have scrunched the flannel, push it back with the toes and repeat again approximately 10 times.

4. Toe Pick-ups

Place a small object, something like a marble, in front of the foot. Sitting on a chair with your back straight, knees bent and feet flat, pick up the small object between the toes and the ball of the foot. Once picked up, hold for a couple of seconds, release and repeat around 20 times. Even just the act of trying to pick something up will help with the stretch, so don't worry if you can't do it to start with, a lot of the time this will get easier the more you do it!

5. Rolling Stretch

Grab a small round ball, for example, a golf ball (it needs to be to be firm and able to take weight without breaking), place it in front of the foot that you are experiencing heel pain in, preferably on a carpet, rug or yoga mat to stop the ball slipping from under the foot. Sit down on a chair with your back straight. Place the ball under the heel of the affected foot. Roll the ball back and forth on the arch of the foot for 2 minutes.

6. Sole Stretch

Place the outside of the foot onto the top of your opposite thigh, taking the corresponding hand, pull back gently on the toes, repeat 6 times, feeling a slight stretch through the sole of the foot.

7. Resistance Exercise

Taking a small towel, roll it lengthways, resting the heel on the opposite knee point your toes up to the ceiling, hold one end of the towel in each hand and place it on the ball of the foot. Keeping your heel securely on the opposite knee, whilst pulling the towel slightly towards you push your foot towards the ground against the resistance of the towel.

8. Foot Massage

With the foot on your thigh, support the foot slightly with the corresponding hand and with the opposite in long firm motions using the pad of your thumb massage in a rectangular formation across the front of the heel, up the outer side of the foot towards the little toe, across the ball of the foot working on the joints with firm pressure and back down the arch on the opposite side. You could incorporate this massage into your daily application of moisturising cream.

We hope that these have really helped you today, don't forget to book an appointment with us so that we can further help you with your heel pain! We look forward to seeing you in clinic soon!