Heal Plantar Fasciitis with Pilates

Did you know that you can heal plantar fasciitis with Pilates? Well, you sure can (I’ve done it myself)! How quickly your pain goes away, however, will depend on the severity of your case and whatever you’re doing alongside your Pilates practice. 

I’ve Had Plantar Fasciitis 3 Times

Over the past thirty years, I’ve had plantar fasciitis three times, so I know that it’s no joke. The first time was when I was teaching a lot of high-impact aerobics. There was a lot of jumping, high knees, and very little stretching or mobility work going on in my life. I also worked a part-time job at a bank where I wore high heels and stood throughout my shifts. All of these things contributed to tight calves and hamstrings… which led to plantar fasciitis. I was in my early 20s and though the pain was annoying, I kept going. Eventually, the doctor sent me off to get orthotics and I got new shoes and the pain went away.

Several years later, I was training for a marathon and did a 22 km run in the snow and slush. For every step forward, my feet would also slip backwards. After that run, plantar fasciitis reared its ugly head once again. Did the run cause the pain? I’d say no, but it certainly pushed my body over the edge. I had been doing a lot of running, my orthotics were old, and my feet had changed since I got them (before I’d had three babies). 

Once again, new orthotics helped, as did the addition of mobility exercises, foam rolling, and using the roller stick. I was teaching Pilates at the time, but I was so busy with work and being a mom that I rarely did Pilates for me. 

The most recent bout of plantar fasciitis was the worst I’ve ever had. It was also the time I learned the most about what helped it go away! 

My Cure For Plantar Fasciitis

The amount of pain I was in really motivated me to pull out all the stops to cure my plantar fasciitis and stop it from coming back. I went to physio and religiously did all of the exercises she gave me. I went to massage therapy and got acupuncture. I also amped up my Pilates practice and got back to doing strength training. 

There are a lot of exercises in Pilates that involve moving the feet from plantar flexion (pointed) to dorsiflexion (flexed). The springs also give an additional stretch to the feet, calves, hamstrings, hips, and back. This is important because everything is connected! In my case, I was incredibly tight in one calf, but also in my hips. I found that when I did stretches for my calves, it didn’t do a lot for my plantar fasciitis. However, when I did hip-stretching exercises, my foot pain would dissipate. 

Over time, the pain lessened. Pilates was an important part of healing my plantar fasciitis, but I supplemented it with a variety of other treatments, too. I slowly added running back to my routine and yes, had setbacks along the way. When the pain was really bad, I needed to loosen my body up. Then I needed to get stronger. Glute strength and hip strength were key exercises in my healing. 

Why Healing Plantar Fasciitis with Pilates Works

If tightness and lack of strength in your lower body can lead to plantar fasciitis, it makes sense that Pilates is the ideal exercise to help. In Pilates, we regularly work the body’s “seat” (butt and upper hamstrings) to help build strength to do the more difficult exercises.  Building that strength not only helps with your Pilates practice; it also improves balance, jumping, walking, and running. It also helps you to not “collapse” into your arches or the outer side of your foot because powerful glutes run all the way down the chain to your feet. 

Another way to heal plantar fasciitis with Pilates is by incorporating the apparatuses and doing exercises specific to the feet. The toe exerciser, which helps to strengthen the feet and toes, stretches the plantar fascia and opens up the joints of the feet. There is also a sequence of exercises on the 2×4 that stretches the calves and feet while challenging your balance. Finally, the foot corrector also strengthens the feet and balance. Even without the apparatuses, there are ways to incorporate balls and elastics in similar ways. 

Say Goodbye to Pain

Plantar fasciitis is agonizing, and Pilates is an excellent way to not only heal from the pain but also to prevent it from recurring. The key is to work on and maintain flexibility, mobility, and strength in your lower body. You’ll soon find relief, and most likely see the benefits spill into other areas of your life, too.