While exercises can help improve strength, balance and range of motion, they should only be done at a certain point in the healing process. When you first become injured, your tissues are still very raw and fragile. Rest is important at this stage. Doing exercises when you’ve just been injured is a bad idea, as this can lead to further injury and a much longer recovery time. Once you are several weeks into the healing process, and your pain and swelling have improved, you can begin doing exercises.
Consult a doctor or physiotherapist regarding exercises for your Foot Tendonitis. They can develop a personalized plan for you based on where you’re at with the healing process and how severe your injury is.
Here are some examples of common exercises for Foot Tendonitis:
Soleus Stretch
- Stand several feet in front of a wall, with your injured foot behind you and your uninjured foot in front of you
- Place your hands on the wall and bend your back knee
- Your front knee should stay in the front and bend only slightly
- Hold this position for about 30 seconds (or until you feel a stretch in your leg)
- Do this exercise 3x daily
Calf Raises
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart
- Lift both of your heels off the floor, as high as they will go, so you are standing on the balls of your feet
- Lower your heels back down slowly until you are standing flat on your feet again
- Do this exercise in sets of 15
Ankle Rolls
- Sit on the floor with your back up against a wall and your legs stretched out straight in front of you
- Lift up your injured foot and slowly rotate it clockwise until you’ve done a full circle
- Rotate your foot the other way (counter-clockwise) until you’ve done a full circle
- Rest your injured foot on the floor
- Repeat Steps 2-4 for your uninjured foot
- Do this exercise in sets of 5
Towel Scrunches
- Take a small towel (like a hand towel) and place it flat on the floor
- Sit down in a chair and place your injured foot flat on top of the towel
- Lift your toes up, making sure your heel stays planted on the towel, and try to grasp the towel with your toes
- The objective is to pull the towel towards your heel
- Relax your toes, then grasp the towel again with your toes, pulling it towards your heel
- You may need to stop and straighten out the towel between reps
- Do this exercise in sets of 5
Marble Pick-Ups
Sit down in a chair with a cup and marbles in front of you on the ground- Attempt to pick up the marbles with your toes one by one, and place them in the cup
- Do this until all the marbles have been placed in the cup with your toes
- You can do this with your injured foot and your uninjured foot
- Do this exercise once a day
Single Leg Balancing
- Stand on your injured foot with your uninjured leg bent behind you
- The goal is to try to balance on your injured side
- Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat on your uninjured side
- Do this exercise in sets of 3