6 Stretches To Relieve Your Morning Foot Pain

Morning foot pain can be the pits, but these exercises can help you loosen up.


Sharon Liao |

Morning foot pain can be the pits, but these exercises can help you loosen up. – By Sharon Liao

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY
PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY

 

If you hop out of bed with a spring in your step, good for you. But too many of us gingerly ease out, wincing or hobbling through our first steps of the day. “Because you’re not actively moving while you sleep, the soft tissue and joints in your feet can tighten overnight,” explains Isaac Tabari, DPM, a podiatrist and founding director of NYC Podiatry Center of Excellence in New York City.

That can lead to morning foot pain for people with conditions like plantar fasciitis—inflammation of the plantar fascia, the ligament that runs down the bottom of your foot—or Achilles tendonitis, which is pain in the tendon that connects the lower calf muscle to your heel. Rheumatoid arthritis can also be a culprit, because it can cause foot and ankle joints to stiffen, adds Tabari.

What can you do to ease the throb? The following moves can help you start your day on the right foot:

Before You Get Out of Bed

These gentle stretches can loosen up tight muscles and improve blood flow. You can also take an anti-inflammatory to relieve the pain, says Tabari.

1. Towel stretch

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY
PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY

 

Sit up in bed, with your legs stretched in front of you. Loop a rolled-up towel (or exercise band if you have one handy) beneath the ball of your right foot. Keeping your leg straight, gently pull the towel toward you and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat three to five times, then switch sides.

 

2. Sitting stretch

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY
PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY

 

Cross your left leg over your right knee. Grasp the base of the toes on your left foot and stretch them toward your shin. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat three to five times, then switch sides.

 

3. Kneeling stretch

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY
PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY

 

Kneel on a mat with your toes tucked beneath you. Gently sit back on your heels, stretching the bottoms of your feet. Hold 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat three to five times.

 

4. Heel raises

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY
PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY

 

Stand on the edge of a step and hold onto a railing for support. Stretch your left heel down for at least 30 seconds. Press up with the same foot for 10 seconds. Repeat three times and then switch sides.

 

5. Ice roll

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY
PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT RAINEY

 

While seated in a chair, place a frozen water bottle beneath the arch of one foot. Gently roll it back and forth for 5 minutes. Switch sides.

Also read: 5 Easy ways to Soothe Your Aching Feet

This article originally appeared in Prevention.

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