5 Best Yoga Poses for Plantar Fasciitis

Ever stepped out of bed in the morning and felt a sharp pain at the bottom of your foot? That stabbing sensation in your heel can feel like you're stepping on pins and needles — a common symptom of plantar fasciitis.

Whether you're a dancer, an athlete, or someone who spends hours standing on their feet, plantar fasciitis can show up unexpectedly and cause stabbing pain. This pain can make everyday movements like walking or simply standing feel unbearable.

But the great news is that with certain yoga poses for plantar fasciitis, you can find relief and feel better. Yoga can help ease the pain and is the perfect way to tackle plantar fasciitis head-on. 

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is caused by inflammation of the tissue called the plantar fascia. Think of the plantar fascia as a thick elastic band, running from your heel to your toes, offering arch support to your foot. 

When this tissue (the elastic band), is overstretched, it can cause persistent heel pain and stiffness. This is often felt the most when you first start moving in the morning or right after a physical activity.

Recovery from plantar fasciitis often includes a combination of rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and sometimes physical therapy or surgery. While most people heal within a year, for those who love staying active, the recovery time can feel long. 

Fortunately, incorporating specific yoga poses for plantar fasciitis into your routine can help alleviate pain, improve flexibility, and strengthen the muscles that provide arch support, speeding up the healing process. 

5 Yoga Poses to Ease the Pain from Plantar Fasciitis 

Yoga for plantar fasciitis can improve your flexibility, provide foot pain relief, and promote healing. 

Here are some poses you can do to feel better by stretching your feet and calves, releasing tension, and helping your body recover: 

1. Mountain Pose

Mountain Pose may look simple, but it’s essential for realigning your knees and feet, which is crucial when dealing with plantar fasciitis. To learn more about the realignment of the body, check out this group class on finding balance and alignment.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, your spine tall, and your gaze forward. 

• Focus on the soles of your feet, making sure they are evenly grounded and you distribute the weight evenly on the inside and outside. 

• Align your knees over your ankles and ground all four corners of your feet into the floor.

• Hold this position, breathing deeply, for 1-2 minutes. 

Benefit: This pose helps you strengthen your posture and foot alignment, which is key to relieving foot pain.

2. Downward Facing Dog Pose

Downward Facing Dog works wonders for stretching your heels, calves, and hamstrings.

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, then lift your hips up, forming an inverted "V" shape.

• Reach your heels toward the floor, feeling the stretch in your legs and feet. 

• Stay here for several breaths, and don’t hesitate to bend your knees if you feel too much tension.

Benefit: This pose releases tightness in the lower body, relieving heel pain and tension caused by plantar fasciitis. 

3. Standing Forward Fold Pose

This pose releases tension by deeply stretching your calves, tight hamstrings, and the muscles around your ankles and heels. 

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart. 

• Exhale and fold forward from your hips, letting your head hang and your hands rest on the floor or your legs. 

• Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid straining your lower back. 

• Let your neck and spine relax while your calves and feet stretch out. 

• Hold for 1-2 minutes while breathing steadily. 

Benefit: This is a great pose that provides a gentle yet effective stretch.

Chair Pose

Chair Pose strengthens the muscles in your legs, feet, and ankles, helping to support the arches and reduce strain in the plantar fascia.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet together.

• Inhale and raise your arms overhead, keeping them straight.

• Exhale as you bend your knees and lower your hips as if sitting in a chair, keeping your weight in your heels.

• Hold for several breaths, then slowly return to standing.

Benefit: Chair Pose helps build strength in your feet and legs, which can alleviate pressure on your heels and aid in managing plantar fasciitis.

5. Legs Up the Wall Pose

This relaxing posture not only stretches your legs and feet but also helps reduce inflammation, which is essential for healing the fascia tissue affected by plantar fasciitis.

How to do it:

• Place a folded blanket near a wall. 

• Sit sideways on the blanket, then rotate your body to lift your legs up the wall. 

• Lay back comfortably, keeping your legs extended against the wall and your arms resting by your sides. 

• Focus on relaxing your entire body and breathe deeply for 5-8 minutes. 

Benefit: This pose offers gentle relief from the discomfort of plantar fasciitis and can even help with heel pain.

While these poses can ease the pain, it’s crucial to approach yoga with caution. Incorrect practice, especially overstretching, can lead to further injury by tearing the delicate tissue in your heel, potentially worsening the pain and prolonging recovery.

Tips to Practice Yoga for Plantar Fasciitis Safely:

• Consult with your doctor before you incorporate yoga stretches for plantar fasciitis into your routine.

• Make sure you do yoga with a certified yoga instructor who can create a plan tailored to your specific needs.

• Always listen to your body. If a pose increases pain or discomfort, stop immediately and take a break.

• Pay close attention to the positioning of your feet and knees. Avoid standing on the edges of your feet or letting your knees bow outward or inward.

• Be patient, as yoga is not a quick fix. Consistent practice over time will help heal your plantar fasciitis, but it’s not a cure on its own.

• Begin with gentle plantar fasciitis yoga stretches focusing on your feet and calves. Avoid pushing too hard, and be patient with your progress.

How Does Toe Yoga for Plantar Fasciitis Work?

Toe yoga is an effective way to alleviate the discomfort caused by plantar fasciitis, as it strengthens and stretches the muscles that are essential for foot mobility and stability. Strengthening these muscles can significantly reduce the tension and inflammation in the plantar fascia, speeding up recovery. 

By doing toe yoga, you target the small muscles in the feet that support the arch and help improve overall foot mechanics. This practice helps reduce tension in the plantar fascia, promoting flexibility and reducing pain over time. 

Some exercises include:

1. Toe Lifts: 

This exercise strengthens and retrains the foot’s small muscles, which help reduce plantar fascia tension and correct walking patterns.

• Sit in a chair with feet flat on the ground.

• Raise your big toe while keeping the other four toes on the floor. Then, reverse the movement by lowering the big toe and lifting the other four toes.

• Perform 15 repetitions on each foot, switching between toes, for 2 sets.

2. Spreading Toes and Arching the Foot:

This helps with both flexibility and strength in the toes and arches, key to alleviating foot pain.

• Stand straight, spread all your toes, and lift your heels to stand on your tiptoes while maintaining the toe spread.

• Keep the position for 10 seconds.

3. Towel Curls:

This exercise strengthens foot and calf muscles, providing added support to the plantar fascia, and easing tension and pain.

• Sit on a chair, place a towel on the floor, and use your toes to grasp and curl the towel toward you.

• Repeat five times for each foot.

4. Marble Pickups:

Improves toe dexterity, flexibility, and strength, which can reduce strain on the plantar fascia.

• Place marbles on the floor and use your toes to pick up each one.

• Complete 20 repetitions per foot.

5. Rolling the Sole:

This gentle massage loosens tight muscles and improves circulation in the foot, further easing plantar fascia inflammation.

• Sit on a chair, place a tennis ball under your foot, and roll it slowly from heel to toe.

• Roll the foot for 2-3 minutes.

Incorporating these simple exercises into your routine can help reduce discomfort and improve flexibility, ensuring long-term relief from plantar fasciitis. 

Yoga Poses to Avoid with Plantar Fasciitis

While plantar fasciitis yoga stretches are great for relieving foot and heel pain, there are certain poses you must be cautious about, or rather avoid. These include:

• High-Impact Poses: Poses that require jumping or placing excessive force on the feet can exacerbate plantar fasciitis. For example, movements like jumping into a low plank during a Sun Salutation can overstress the plantar fascia, worsening inflammation.

• Deep Lunges: Poses like deep lunges and those that require extreme stretching of the arch, may increase tension on the plantar fascia and lead to more pain.

• Standing Balancing Poses: Tree Pose or Warrior III places a lot of weight on one foot, which may increase strain on the inflamed tissue. Balancing on one leg while suffering from plantar fasciitis can be uncomfortable and potentially damaging.

• Poses with Sudden Movements: Fast transitions, such as moving quickly from Warrior to Half Moon Pose, don’t give the plantar fascia enough time to adjust. Sudden shifts in body weight can lead to further stress on the feet.

• Advanced Poses Requiring Flexed Toes: Plank poses that require deeply flexed toes might irritate the plantar fascia, especially when held for extended periods. This can worsen inflammation or even cause micro-tears in the tissue.

• Poses that Overarch the Foot: Any posture that overextends the arch, such as Camel Pose, may stretch the plantar fascia in ways that increase discomfort or slow down healing.

By avoiding these poses, you'll give your feet the rest and care they need while recovering from plantar fasciitis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is yoga good for plantar fasciitis?

Yes, yoga can be very beneficial for plantar fasciitis. Certain yoga poses and stretches can help stretch and strengthen the muscles in your feet and calves, reducing tension in the plantar fascia. Yoga also helps improve flexibility and circulation in the affected areas, which promotes healing and alleviates discomfort. 

How does yoga help with plantar fasciitis?

Yoga for plantar fasciitis focuses on poses that stretch the plantar fascia and calf muscles. Targeted stretches for your feet and legs help relieve heel and foot pain by reducing inflammation and improving flexibility. This promotes faster recovery by easing strain, boosting blood flow, reducing swelling, and strengthening the muscles that support your foot, helping you move with less pain and more stability.

How can I heal plantar fasciitis fast?

Along with yoga, you can complement your recovery with other strategies that promote healing. Start by resting the foot as much as possible, avoiding activities that aggravate the pain. Wearing supportive shoes with proper arch support or using orthotic inserts can help alleviate pressure on the plantar fascia. Additionally, massaging the soles of your feet and applying ice packs regularly can help reduce inflammation and pain. If the severity is much more, consult a healthcare professional for physical therapy or other treatments, such as corticosteroid injections.

Book a 1-on-1 Trial Session Today! 

Say goodbye to that stabbing heel and foot pain. Book a free 1-on-1 trial session today with a MyYogaTeacher coach and experience the transformative impact of yoga for plantar fasciitis.