Foot Strengthening for Runners: 7 Exercises to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis

Why Foot Strength Is the Core Issue

The pain of plantar fasciitis is felt on the inside of the heel, is worst with the first step, and worsens after running. Traditional treatment emphasizes “stretching” and “foam rolling,” but research shows that eccentric strengthening is far more effective than stretching for fascia repair.

The intrinsic foot muscles control:

• The dynamic height of the arch
• Shock absorption on landing
• Energy return during push-off
• Toe-gripping stability

These muscle groups are chronically neglected in modern life (wearing shoes, sitting at a desk), and problems emerge as soon as running volume increases.

7 Key Exercises

Exercise 1: Toe Towel Curl

Target muscles: Flexor digitorum brevis, flexor digitorum longus, intrinsic plantar muscles

How to do it:

• Sit barefoot in a chair with a towel laid flat on the floor
• Use your toes to scrunch the towel toward you
• Then use your toes to push the towel back out
• 3 sets x 3 round trips each

Key point: Keep the heel on the ground; don’t move from the ankle

Exercise 2: Short Foot Exercise

Target muscles: Deep plantar muscles (abductor hallucis, plantar lumbricals)

How to do it:

• Stand barefoot with the sole flat on the floor
• Imagine “keeping the toes still while pulling the first metatarsal toward the heel”
• The arch should rise slightly and the foot should appear to shorten
• Hold 5 seconds, relax 2 seconds
• 3 sets x 15 reps

Key point: Toes must not curl and you must not rise onto your toes. This is the hardest exercise to master but has the strongest effect.

Exercise 3: Single-Leg Heel Raise (Eccentric Emphasis)

Target muscles: Gastrocnemius, soleus, Achilles tendon

How to do it:

• Stand on one leg at the edge of a step with the heel hanging off
• Raise the heel forcefully to the top (two-leg version: hold a wall for support, go up on both feet, lower on one)
• Lower slowly over 3 seconds on the single leg (eccentric phase)
• 3 sets x 12 reps per side

Key point: The lowering must be slow — this is the gold-standard exercise for treating plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy.

Exercise 4: Bent-Knee Heel Raise

Target muscles: Soleus (isolated stimulation)

How to do it:

• Sit with knees bent at 90 degrees, soles flat on the floor
• Add resistance across the thighs (e.g., a 5kg dumbbell on the knees)
• Raise the heels to the top, then lower slowly
• 3 sets x 15 reps

Key point: This complements straight-knee heel raises. The soleus plays a key role in the push-off phase of running but is often overlooked.

Exercise 5: Toe Spreading

Target muscles: Plantar lumbricals, interossei

How to do it:

• Stand barefoot
• Actively spread all 5 toes apart in 5 different directions
• Abduct the big toe outward while the other 4 toes spread apart
• Hold 5 seconds, relax 2 seconds
• 2 sets x 10 reps

Key point: Most people initially cannot abduct the big toe independently — practice until you can.

Exercise 6: Single-Leg Balance with Perturbation

Target muscles: All foot proprioceptive nerves plus lower-leg stabilizing muscles

How to do it:

• Stand barefoot on one leg
• Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand and perform lateral raises, front raises, and circular movements
• The standing foot must stay stable with the arch held, not collapsing
• 2 sets x 60 seconds per side

Progression: Stand on a folded towel or a balance pad

Exercise 7: Resisted Foot Inversion / Eversion

Target muscles: Tibialis posterior, peroneus longus, peroneus brevis

How to do it:

• Sit with a resistance band looped around the forefoot
• Inversion version: anchor the band on the outside and turn the foot inward
• Eversion version: anchor the band on the inside and turn the foot outward
• 2 sets x 15 reps per side

Key point: A weak tibialis posterior contributes to flat feet and medial heel pain, while weak peroneal muscles increase the risk of ankle sprains.

Weekly Training Schedule

6-Week Progressive Plan

Week	Frequency	Duration per Session	Intensity
Week 1-2	3x per week	12 minutes	Foundation, learning the movements
Week 3-4	3x per week	15 minutes	Add sets
Week 5-6	3x per week	18 minutes	Add resistance (bands, dumbbells)

It’s best to schedule this after an easy run day or on a rest-day evening.

Acute Phase vs. Prevention Phase

Acute Pain Phase (sharp pain on the first morning step)

• Suspend Exercises 1 and 5 (they can aggravate the pain)
• Emphasize Exercise 3 (single-leg eccentric heel raise) — this is the most effective exercise at this stage
• Combine with icing and foam rolling

Prevention Phase (recovered or symptom-free)

• Perform all 7 exercises
• 3 times a week, maintained long-term

Pairing Footwear with the Exercises

Doing the exercises without addressing your shoes is only half the solution:

• Wear minimalist/barefoot-style shoes (such as Vibram or Xero) occasionally during training
• Keep a cushioned shoe as your main training shoe
• Avoid slippers that are too soft or too hard
• You can go barefoot at home, but use a yoga mat on concrete floors

Relationship to Running Form

As foot strength improves, your running form will naturally change:

• The landing point moves closer to under your center of mass
• Landing noise decreases
• The toe-gripping sensation during push-off becomes more noticeable
• A natural midfoot strike develops

Conclusion

Plantar fasciitis doesn’t mean “you can’t run” — it means “your body is telling you a certain system isn’t strong enough.” After 15 minutes a day for 6 weeks, you’ll find that the first step in the morning no longer stings, and you’ll be able to push your weekly mileage back up. The feet are a runner’s engine and shock absorber, and they’re worth this investment.

Related Reading

• The Complete Guide to Plantar Fasciitis: Treatment Strategies and Training Adjustments for Runners’ Most Common Foot Injury
• Preventing and Treating Plantar Fasciitis: A Complete Breakdown of Heel Pain for Runners
• The Complete Treatment Path for Plantar Fasciitis: From First-Step Morning Pain to Returning to the Marathon
• Plantar Fasciitis for Basketball Players: Foot Pressure in Jump Shots and Drives