How to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis After You Work Out
Don’t be sidelined by heel pain.
Plantar fasciitis is a common injury that creates heel pain under the arch of a foot. It is considered an overuse injury, meaning it occurs because the injured person has exhausted a specific muscle, tendon, or bone by working it too hard.
Certified trainer Holly Rilinger knows the pain of plantar fasciitis firsthand. To avoid this heel pain, Holly recommends being proactive. For example, adequate stretching and foam rolling, particularly in the calf muscle area, are great methods of plantar fasciitis treatment and prevention. These practices relieve tension in the heel and calf area and reduce chances of further injury. (Check out Holly’s tips for dynamic stretching and using a foam roller.)
Since injuries like plantar fasciitis are caused by overuse of one part of the body, experts also recommend you add cross-training to your workout, which means adding variety into your regimen. Alternating between strength training, cardio, and flexibility ensures you use a variety of muscles and tendons and don’t put too much stress on any one area.
Plus, stronger and more flexible muscles can prevent injury by increasing the body’s stability and range of motion. In other words, even if you’re just using cardio to manage your weight, you should still cross-train to avoid plantar fasciitis and other overuse injuries, such as tendonitis and shin splints.
Coach, trainer, and 10-year veteran of the fitness world, Holly Rilinger is known as one of the most inspiring motivational trainers in the game.
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Injuries suck.
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I'm gonna tell you about an injury that
ended my basketball career called plantar
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fasciitis.
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Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury.
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So when you train too hard,
your body pays for it.
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On the bottom of your foot,
something called fascia.
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Fascia is a connective tissue that
starts at the top of our head and
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goes all the way down to
the bottom of our feet.
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When we workout too hard, that fascia
can become brittle and tear, not fun.
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So here's a few tips to avoid plantar
fascitis and if you have plantar fascitis,
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how to get over it?
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I want you to foam roll
the bottom of your feet, right?
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So that means that you're
actually taking a little ball.
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It could even be a frozen bottle of water,
and roll it on the bottom of your foot.
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That loosens up your fascia.
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The looser that fascia is,
the less likely you are to have an injury.
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It's also important to foam roll and
stretch your calves.
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We wanna keep everything mobile and
everything loose.
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And remember, the more you do this,
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the less likely you are to have an injury
that's gonna take you out of the game.
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Plantar fasciitis. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Health: U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015. (Accessed March 29, 2017 at https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007021.htm.)