Plantar Fasciitis
For the past few months, I’ve been working out regularly. I’ve really been pushing myself in the gym and supplementing my workout with yoga most days. Being a bigger guy has its challenges. Some yoga moves are difficult, and body weight exercise can be really challenging. Adding any additional weight to my overweight body can easily overload a muscle which can result in injury, and it’s difficult being in my forties and realizing those limitations when I feel like I should be able to lift, twist, and bend with no issue.
About two months ago, I developed plantar fasciitis. I’ve dealt with this once before in my twenties, and it’s a pretty miserable condition. Your heel hurts any time you remain stationary, and getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night is an absolute nightmare. I’ve noticed that it gets worse when I perform dead lifts or reverse lunges with weights, and it’s clear I’ve been overloading the plantar fascia, a fibrous band of tissue that runs the length of my foot.
Like when dealing with any injury issue, I turned to the internet for guidance. Sadly, the internet was not much help. I found tons of “experts” offering their advice and exercises, and a whole slew of products. I bought a split, new insoles, new shoes, some special tape to tape my foot, a Pro Stretcher to stretch my calves, and utilized my PT strap to further that stretch. I watched dozens of videos, and tried dozens of stretches, but nothing offered much relief. As with the internet, there are conflicting approaches to treating this condition, some based in science and some not. I found myself at wit’s end this past weekend, because I felt like no matter how hard I tried to be healthy, I just couldn’t overcome this stupid injury. It made me want to quit working out.
I was grumpy and hurting, and I found myself back on YouTube looking for answers. I wanted someone who wasn’t going to say some BS like, “Fix your plantar fasciitis in two minutes” or “Do these three stretches to stop your heel pain.” I wanted something well researched and well presented to hopefully get me back on my feet.
The YouTube Gods answered my prayers and presented me with the following video. It was everything I wanted. Heck, it even had sources for the studies that backed up the exercise suggestions. They even went as far as to break down the exercises to allow your body to build up to them. It was wonderful, and I hobbled out of my chair and started doing the exercises.
It’s been five days as of this writing, and my pain is an 85% better. I am shocked at how much of a difference performing these few exercises has made on my condition, especially in such a short amount of time. I mention all of this, in case a random stranger, suffering from this condition, stumbles upon this post. Watch the video, do the exercises, and things will get better.