Realistic Recovery Window
Most runners recover from plantar fascia in 8-12 weeks if the early stages are respected. Pushing through doubles the timeline.
Days 1-7: Calm the fascia
- Stop barefoot walking on hard floors
- Frozen bottle roll 10 min, 2x/day
- Begin calf stretching
Weeks 1-3: Build foot capacity
- Short-foot exercise daily
- Towel scrunches
- Heavy slow calf raises 2x/week
Weeks 3-6: Return to running
- Walk-jog progression
- Continue foot work daily
- Avoid hill repeats early
Weeks 6+: Full training
- Add back speed and hills gradually
- Maintain foot strength year-round
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