Heel Stretch Exercises

Written By: Chloe Wilson BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy
Reviewed By: FPE Medical Review Board

Heel Stretch Exercises: Reduce foot, ankle and heel pain with these simple exercises

Heel stretch exercises can be a really effective way of reducing foot pain and tightness. 

By stretching out the muscles around the foot, you reduce the tension and friction on the foot structures which helps to relieve foot and ankle pain.

Here we will look at some of the best heel stretch exercises, simple to perform yet really effective at stretching out the muscles and reducing pain. 

It can also help to stretch out the other muscles of the foot and toes, so do have a look at the ankle and toe stretches section too.  All these exercises should ideally be done twice a day and always before and after exercise.

Heel Stretches For The Calf

The calf is made up of two muscles.  The larger muscle, gastrocnemius, arises from just above the knee and the smaller muscle, soleus arises just below the knee.  They both run down the back of the calf before joining together to form the Achilles tendon which attaches to the back of the heel.  You can either do a general calf stretch which targets both muscles, or work each muscle separately if you want to be more specific. 

1.  General Calf Stretch

heel stretch calf step 250 opt sept 22

This is a great heel stretch for the whole calf and heel region - definitely one of our favourites

Starting Position: Stand with your heel hanging off the back of a step

Action: Bend you standing leg slightly to let your heel drop down until you feel a stretch in the calf

Repetitions: Hold for 30 secs and repeat 3 times, gradually trying to drop the heel further to increase

Variations: To target gastrocnemius keep the knee straight, to target soleus, as the heel drop, bend the knee on the same side slightly

2.  Gastrocnemius Stretch

gastroc stretch opt sept 22

A simple, effective gastrocnemius heel stretch - just make sure you keep your knee straight!

Starting Position: Standing facing a wall with the leg to be stretched behind, toes pointing forwards

Action: Keeping the back heel down and knee straight, lunge forwards onto the front leg until you feel a stretch in the calf of the back leg

Repetitions: Hold this gastrocnemius stretch for 30 secs and repeat 3 times

3.  Soleus Stretch

standing soleus stretch 400 opt sept 22

Having the knee bent with this heel stretch targets the deep soleus muscle in the calf

Starting Position: Stand facing a wall with the leg to be stretched stepped behind, toes pointing forwards, both knees bent

Action: Gently lean into the wall until a pull is felt down the calf of the back leg

Repetitions: hold this soleus stretch for 30 secs and repeat 3 times

Note: Soleus stretches often don’t feel as strong as a gastrocnemius stretch

Heel Stretches for the Foot Sole

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue which runs along the sole of your foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes.  It supports the arches of the foot and is really important for transferring forces through the foot. 

Irritation of the plantar fascia, known as plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, affecting 1 in 10 individuals, so plantar fascia stretches are really important for almost anyone with heel pain.

1.  Foot Pulls

plantarfascia sole stretch 290 opt sept 22

A great heel stretch for relieving plantar fascia tightness under the foot

Starting Position: Sit with one leg crossed over the other

Action: Grasp all of the toes and pull them as a unit back towards your shin, until you feel a pull in the sole of your foot

Repetitions: Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times

2.  Ball Rolling

PF ball stretch 300 opt sept 22

This is a great way to stretch the soft tissues underneath the heel and ball of the foot. Perfect for while watching TV!

Starting Position: Sit with your foot resting on a golf ball or tennis ball

Action: Push down into the ball and roll your foot backwards and forwards

Repetitions: 5-10 minutes, 1-2 times daily

Variations: Use a frozen bottle of water or cold drinks can instead of a ball to get the added benefit of cold therapy as you do this heel stretch

What Else Can Help?

The Yoga Toe is a great way to stretch the foot muscles without having to exercise.

These are just a few examples of heel stretch exercises for the ankle.  You can find even more exercises in the Calf Stretches and Plantar Fascia Stretches sections that work really well alongside these heel stretches.

These exercises tend to work best when combined with strengthening exercises so do visit the foot and ankle strengthening section as well.  

There are also things you can use to help such as the Yoga Toe which can be a really effective way to stretch without having to exercise.

If you want help working out what is causing your pain, visit the heel pain diagnosis section, or for more general pain the foot pain diagnosis section.

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Page Last Updated: 10/06/22
Next Review Due: 10/06/24