Exercises You Can Do with Plantar Fasciitis
If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, you may experience chronic pain on a daily basis, especially after long bouts of rest when your tendon tightens and contracts. You might assume that you’ll never be able to exercise again due to the painful symptoms of plantar fasciitis. While it’s true that you should avoid high-impact exercises, such as running, there are plenty of activities you can do that shouldn’t exacerbate your heel pain, some of which include:
- Swimming
Swimming is a fantastic exercise because it’s great cardio and works all your major muscle groups. It’s especially beneficial for sufferers of plantar fasciitis because it’s a low-impact exercise, meaning it places little stress on your joints and tendons. Remember to minimise the amount of time you spend walking around barefoot when not in the pool.
- Rowing
Rowing is another great exercise for those that suffer from plantar fasciitis. Most gyms have rowing machines which place little stress on your feet and heels. If you’d rather spend time on the lake than in a gym, kayaking is also a great exercise that won’t exacerbate the painful symptoms of plantar fasciitis.
- Cycling
Whether you cycle outside or in the gym, it’s a beneficial exercise that works most of your major muscle groups, improves blood circulation and works wonders for your heart’s health. Most importantly, with regards to those with plantar fasciitis, it’s easy on your feet when compared to exercises such as running. You don’t place the full weight of your body on your feet when cycling, which is why it’s considered a low-impact exercise. If you use an indoor cycling machine, you eliminate the risk of slips and falls.
- Leg Curls
Most reputable gyms have machines purposed for leg curls, which work your hamstrings and don’t place too much strain on your heels. The exercise involves pulling your legs towards your rear end against the resistant of the machine, and it’s great for improving your muscle strength.
- Pull-Ups
If you want to build strength in your arms without experiencing pain in your heels, you can do pull-ups. However, it’s important to remember that from time to time, you will have to take a break by standing on a hard surface. Seek medical advice and find an appropriate plantar fasciitis treatment so that you don’t end up experiencing pain after doing pull ups.
- Sit-Ups
You can do sit-ups literally anywhere without requiring any equipment, and you don’t need to place pressure on your heels to do them. Sit ups are a great way to strengthen your core. If you’ve always dreamed of having a six pack, you should start doing sit ups.
As you can see from above, you don’t need to let plantar fasciitis prevent you from living a healthy lifestyle and enjoying the benefits of exercise. However, you might want to discuss which exercises you intend to do with a medical professional just to make sure you won’t exacerbate the painful symptoms of plantar fasciitis.
Photo: Pixabay
Contributed posts are advertisements written by third parties who have paid Woman Around Town for publication.