Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, and it strikes a many

individuals every year. Although it’s an injury that can affect anybody, certain conditions make it more likely. The heavier you are, the more you jump, wearing improper shoes, the harder the surface you’re on– the more you increase your risk of developing PF.

So what is plantar fasciitis? Plantar fasciitis is a repetitive stress injury, meaning that when there is continuous stressed placed on a particular area of the body, in this case the feet–you can develop what’s commonly known as a repetitive stress injury.

The plantar fascia is a ligament on the bottom of your foot that connects your heel to the front of your foot. The fascia can typically handle huge amounts of stress —But too much pressure or strain can damage it and cause inflammation. One of the most common symptoms of plantar fasciitis is heel pain first thing in the morning–although not everybody experiences this. Heel pain might also occur after being on your feet all day or during certain activities.

Once you start feeling heel pain, try modifying your activities so that you decrease the pounding on your plantar fascia. Whether you’ll have to give up your workouts depends on the severity of your pain. If it’s mild, you might be able to work around it. Severe pain, on the other hand, calls for choosing a gentler form of exercise, where you’re less on your feet, such as cycling, rowing or low impact exercise classes.

If you’re highly active, the best thing you can do to prevent plantar fasciitis is to mix up your workouts so don’t put too much stress on your feet. For example, run four days a week instead of five and supplement your training with foot-friendly activities like the ones mentioned above. You should also vary the surfaces on which you train. Concrete is hard on the feet, so switch to a track or grass every now and then. Once you start feeling heel pain, don’t ignore it, instead intervene early. This will ensure that you are not out of the game for longer then you want to be.