Stretching is vital for staying flexible and preventing injury. While you may consider leg and back stretches essential to your workout routine, you likely overlook your feet. They take you everywhere, so don’t neglect them! Here are five stretches to help prevent injury and relieve foot pain. 

5 Stretches for Foot Pain & Injury Prevention

1. Step Stretch

This is an easy stretch you can do almost anywhere to strengthen your calves and Achilles tendon. It also helps treat plantar fasciitis. Start by standing on a step with your heels hanging off the edge, then slowly lower your heels as far as you comfortably can before raising them back up. Repeat the exercise five to ten times. If stretching both feet at once is too challenging, stretch one at a time and hold on to a rail for balance. 

2. Wall Heel Stretch

Put on your shoes and stand facing a wall. Place your toes on the wall, and rest against the balls of your feet. Gently press your body toward the wall until you feel a comfortable stretch. This helps relieve tension on the tendons and ligaments in the calves, heels, and ankles. 

3.  Ball Roll 

Rolling your feet on a ball feels great and is an effective remedy for foot pain and tightness. Simply take a small ball such as a golf, lacrosse, or tennis ball and roll it along the bottoms of your feet while standing or seated. Standing will increase the intensity, so perform this exercise while seated if it’s too much.

4. Calf Stretch

While seated on the floor with your feet straight out in front of you, wrap a resistance band or towel around the top of one foot and pull back slowly and gently. Repeat on the other side. This helps stretch your calves and arches of your feet, both strengthening and increasing flexibility to prevent injury. 

 5. Hero’s Pose

This yoga pose helps prevent issues like Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. Kneel on the ground with your feet flexed and toes tucked under you. Slowly lean back and sit on your heels until you feel a comfortable stretch. 

Do you suffer from chronic foot pain or issues like bunions and hammertoes? Do you have an old sports injury that causes pain and discomfort? At Advanced Foot Care Center of Rochester in Fairport, NY, they offer care and treatment for issues such as ingrown nails, nerve pain, arthritis, warts, corns, calluses, plantar fasciitis, and more to keep your feet feeling good. To learn more about the treatments available, visit their website or call (585) 249-0020 to make an appointment.