1. TOWEL STRETCH - Sit on a hard surface with your injured leg stretched out in front of you. Loop a towel around the ball of your foot, and pull the towel toward your body. Be sure to keep your knee straight. Hold this position for thirty seconds and repeat three times.
2. STANDING CALF STRETCH - Facing a wall, put your hands against the wall at about eye level. Keep the injured leg back, and the heel of your injured leg on the floor. Turn your injured foot slightly inward as you slowly lean into the wall, until you can feel a stretch in the back of your calf. Hold for thirty seconds. Do this several times a day.
3. STANDING SOLEUS STRETCH - Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall at about chest level. With both knees slightly bent and the injured foot back, gently lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in your calf. Once again, slightly toe in with the injured foot and keep your heel down on the floor. Hold this for thirty seconds. Return to the starting position, and repeat three times.
4. PLANTAR FASCIA STRETCH - Standing with the ball of your injured foot on a stair and slightly toed out, reach for the bottom of the step with your heel until you feel a stretch in the arch of your foot. Hold this position for thirty seconds. Relax, and then repeat three times.
5. TOE RAISES - Stand in a normal weight bearing position. Rock back on your heels so that your toes come off the ground. Hold this position for five seconds. Repeat ten times. Do three sets of ten.
6. HEEL RAISES - While standing, balance yourself on both feet behind a chair. Rise up on your toes, hold for five seconds, and then lower yourself back down. Repeat ten times. Do three sets of ten.
7. SINGLE LEG BALANCE - Stand without any support, and attempt to balance on your injured leg. Begin with your eyes open, and then try to perform the exercise with your eyes closed. Hold the single leg position for thirty seconds. Repeat three times.
The towel stretch can be started right away. When the towel stretch becomes too easy, try the standing calf stretch, the soleus stretch, and the plantar fascia stretch. When you no longer have sharp pain in your calf or tendon, start exercises 5, 6, and 7.
1. TOWEL STRETCH - Sit on a hard surface with your injured leg stretched out in front of you. Loop a towel around the ball of your foot, and pull the towel toward your body. Be sure to keep your knee straight. Hold this position for thirty seconds and repeat three times.
2. STANDING CALF STRETCH - Facing a wall, put your hands against the wall at about eye level. Keep the injured leg back, and the heel of your injured leg on the floor. Turn your injured foot slightly inward as you slowly lean into the wall, until you can feel a stretch in the back of your calf. Hold for thirty seconds. Do this several times a day.
3. STANDING SOLEUS STRETCH - Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall at about chest level. With both knees slightly bent and the injured foot back, gently lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in your calf. Once again, slightly toe in with the injured foot and keep your heel down on the floor. Hold this for thirty seconds. Return to the starting position, and repeat three times.
5. TOE RAISES - Stand in a normal weight bearing position. Rock back on your heels so that your toes come off the ground. Hold this position for five seconds. Repeat ten times. Do three sets of ten.
6. HEEL RAISES - While standing, balance yourself on both feet behind a chair. Rise up on your toes, hold for five seconds, and then lower yourself back down. Repeat ten times. Do three sets of ten.
7. SINGLE LEG BALANCE - Stand without any support, and attempt to balance on your injured leg. Begin with your eyes open, and then try to perform the exercise with your eyes closed. Hold the single leg position for thirty seconds. Repeat three times.
