Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Is It Important?Before Exercising7 Plantar Flexion ExercisesPlantar Flexion Muscles
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Why Is It Important?
Before Exercising
7 Plantar Flexion Exercises
Plantar Flexion Muscles
Plantar flexion is the movement used when standing on your toes. You’ll do it when you walk, stand tiptoe to reach something high, or push the gas or brake pedals while driving. Performing the plantar flexion movement without pain or trouble is important to everyday tasks.
Continue reading to learn more about plantar flexion and how to improve this motion through exercises.
Why Is Plantar Flexion Important?
Plantar flexion is the motion of pointing the toes away from the body. You use it to drive a car, stand tiptoe, and generate momentum when walking.
Weak plantar flexion can impact the muscles in your leg, foot, and back. Having weak plantar flexion can cause:
Having a healthy amount of plantar flexion movement and a full range of motion can help prevent injuries to the feet and legs.
Plantar Flexion vs. DorsiflexionPlantar flexion is the movement of pointing your toes away from your body. Dorsiflexion is the opposite, flexing your foot so that your toes move toward your body. Both are important for engaging the tendons, muscles, and ligaments in the lower leg, ankles, and feet.
Plantar Flexion vs. Dorsiflexion
Plantar flexion is the movement of pointing your toes away from your body. Dorsiflexion is the opposite, flexing your foot so that your toes move toward your body. Both are important for engaging the tendons, muscles, and ligaments in the lower leg, ankles, and feet.
Before Plantar Flexion Exercise
Before starting a plantar flexion exercise routine, you should speak with your healthcare provider or physical therapist. This is especially important if you’re recovering from an injury or a recent medical event. Although plantar flexion exercises are low-intensity, it’s best to avoid caution and get medical advice.
These exercises can be incorporated into your movement routine three to five times a week to help promote plantar flexion and overall health of the lower leg, ankle, and foot.
Always stop stretching if you feel pain.
Downward Ankle Stretch
The downward ankle stretch is about as simple as they come. Do three to five sets of 30–60 seconds on each leg, as follows:
Heel Cord Stretch
This stretch engages your calf muscles, which help with plantar flexion. Do two sets of 10 repetitions, as follows:
For a variation on the heel cord stretch, bend the knee of the back leg. This will give you more of a stretch in the ankle.
Calf Raises
Calf raises simulate standing on your tippy toes, directly engaging the plantar flexion movement. Do two sets of 10, as follows:
If this is too difficult, start with calf raises with both feet on the floor. This will give you more stability and help distribute your weight.
Ankle ABCs
This exercise is somewhat silly, but effective. Do one set of the alphabet with each foot, as follows:
Toe Pickups
This exercise helps build muscle strength. Do toe pickups as follows:
Toe Curls
This exercise is similar to toe pickups, but as a slight variation to build strength in the top of the foot. Do it as follows:
Banded Point
This exercise adds a bit of extra resistance to the normal plantar flexion movement. Do three rounds of 10 repetitions. Do it in the following way:
Summary
Plantar flexion, or the movement of pointing the toes away from the body, is important for everyday activities, from maintaining a healthy gait to standing on tiptoes to driving your car. The muscles in your calf, shin and feet that contribute to plantar flexion can become weak just like any other muscles. These exercises may help you regain or develop a healthy plantar flexion and full range of motion.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ong, Carmichael F., Thomas Geijtenbeek, Jennifer L. Hicks, and Scott L. Delp.Predicting gait adaptations due to ankle plantarflexor muscle weakness and contracture using physics-based musculoskeletal simulations.PLoS Computational Biology. 2019. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006993.Chen B, Cui S, Xu M, Zhang Z, Liu C.Effects of isometric plantar-flexion on the lower limb muscle and lumbar tissue stiffness.Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.2022. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2021.810250American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.Foot flexibility exercises.Aurora Bay Medical Center.Ankle home exercise program.OrthoInfo.org.Foot and ankle conditioning program.American Council on Exercise.Calf raises.Saint Luke’s Hospital.Ankle alphabet (flexibility).
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ong, Carmichael F., Thomas Geijtenbeek, Jennifer L. Hicks, and Scott L. Delp.Predicting gait adaptations due to ankle plantarflexor muscle weakness and contracture using physics-based musculoskeletal simulations.PLoS Computational Biology. 2019. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006993.Chen B, Cui S, Xu M, Zhang Z, Liu C.Effects of isometric plantar-flexion on the lower limb muscle and lumbar tissue stiffness.Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.2022. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2021.810250American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.Foot flexibility exercises.Aurora Bay Medical Center.Ankle home exercise program.OrthoInfo.org.Foot and ankle conditioning program.American Council on Exercise.Calf raises.Saint Luke’s Hospital.Ankle alphabet (flexibility).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ong, Carmichael F., Thomas Geijtenbeek, Jennifer L. Hicks, and Scott L. Delp.Predicting gait adaptations due to ankle plantarflexor muscle weakness and contracture using physics-based musculoskeletal simulations.PLoS Computational Biology. 2019. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006993.Chen B, Cui S, Xu M, Zhang Z, Liu C.Effects of isometric plantar-flexion on the lower limb muscle and lumbar tissue stiffness.Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.2022. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2021.810250American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.Foot flexibility exercises.Aurora Bay Medical Center.Ankle home exercise program.OrthoInfo.org.Foot and ankle conditioning program.American Council on Exercise.Calf raises.Saint Luke’s Hospital.Ankle alphabet (flexibility).
Ong, Carmichael F., Thomas Geijtenbeek, Jennifer L. Hicks, and Scott L. Delp.Predicting gait adaptations due to ankle plantarflexor muscle weakness and contracture using physics-based musculoskeletal simulations.PLoS Computational Biology. 2019. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006993.
Chen B, Cui S, Xu M, Zhang Z, Liu C.Effects of isometric plantar-flexion on the lower limb muscle and lumbar tissue stiffness.Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.2022. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2021.810250
American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.Foot flexibility exercises.
Aurora Bay Medical Center.Ankle home exercise program.
OrthoInfo.org.Foot and ankle conditioning program.
American Council on Exercise.Calf raises.
Saint Luke’s Hospital.Ankle alphabet (flexibility).
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
