If the soles of your feet or your toes are stiff and ache after standing, NHS inform says exercises that bring back movement and strength help recovery. The health information site run by NHS 24 in Scotland sets out 4 exercises with videos for foot muscle or joint problems: a standing calf stretch leaning on a chair, a seated big toe lift and hold, a toe curl and a seated heel raise. Start with 2 to 3 repetitions and build to at most 2 sets of 15, hold stretches 20 to 30 seconds if possible, keep pain within 0 to 5 out of 10, and get advice if not better within 6 weeks. Here is the page as written.
1. Calf stretch, big toe lift, toe curl, heel raise — 4 exercises; only the stretch is standing.
2. Start with 2 to 3; 2 sets of 8, 2 to 3 times a day; at most 2 sets of 15. Stretch 20 to 30 seconds.
3. Pain within 0 to 5; stop if worse or new pain; advice if not better within 6 weeks.
First — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Who for | Useful for people with a new foot problem. If you’ve been diagnosed with a foot condition or had recent foot surgery, follow your healthcare professional’s advice | After surgery, your clinician comes before this article |
| Why | Getting movement and strength back matters — it supports tissue healing and gets you moving again. You may not return to usual levels at once and progress may start slowly, but a gradual return to normal activities gives the best short and long term results | — |
| At first | Listen to your pain, especially early on. Symptoms may increase slightly at first but should ease with time; regular practice can improve movement. If there is discomfort, medication prescribed by a GP or pharmacist may help you keep exercising | In Korea, ask a doctor or pharmacist (our gloss) |
| Safety | In a safe place, only if you feel well enough. If you start to feel unwell, stop at once | — |
The 4 foot exercises — NHS inform
| Exercise (video title) | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Standing calf stretch (video 0:28) | Standing, leaning on a chair in front. Bring one leg out behind until you feel a stretch, front leg slightly bent. Hold a few seconds, return. Out and in is one repetition | A stretching exercise — 20 to 30 seconds below |
| 2. Big toe lift and hold (0:18) | Sitting. Feet flat, slowly point your toes towards the ceiling, hold a few seconds, slowly lower. Up and down is one repetition | Heel stays down (our reading) |
| 3. Toe curl (0:11) | Sitting or lying. Heel on the floor, toes to the ceiling. Curl your toes in tightly, then release. Curl and release is one repetition | — |
| 4. Seated heel raise (0:20) | Sitting. Feet flat, gradually lift your heel as far as is comfortable, slowly lower. Up and down is one repetition | — |
The names are the page’s video titles and the times are video lengths. All four come to 77 seconds (our sum). Exercises 1 and 4 appear with the same wording on the calf and ankle exercises page.
How much pain is OK, how many — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Pain score | Rate pain out of 10 (0 = none, 10 = the worst you’ve had). 0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive | — |
| During | Keep pain within 0 to 5. If it goes above — fewer repetitions, slower movement, more rest between movements | Changing one of the three may be enough (our reading) |
| After | Exercise shouldn’t make your foot pain worse overall. New exercises can cause short-term muscle pain while the body adapts, but it should ease quickly and be no worse the morning after | The next morning is the test |
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Start | New exercises: 2 to 3 repetitions at a time | — |
| Often | Small amounts through the day — for example every hour | — |
| Build | As it gets easier and if you feel able, add 1 or 2 repetitions every few days | “A few days” has no number in the source |
| Sets | When you can do more, break into sets — more at a time, less often. This builds strength. For example: 8 repetitions → rest a minute → another set of 8, 2 to 3 times a day | 2 sets of 8 = 16 at a time; 2 to 3 times a day = 32 to 48 (our sum) |
| Aim | Increase over time to a maximum of 2 sets of 15 — repeating strengthens muscles and tendons | 30 at a time is the ceiling (our sum) |
In numbers, the page’s example is 2 sets of 8 = 16 at a time, or 32 to 48 a day at 2 to 3 sessions. The target of 2 sets of 15 is 30 at a time (our sums). You can do all the exercises together, or start with one or two and add more.
Stretches are different — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Stretches | For exercises labelled stretching, once a short hold is comfortable, hold longer as a stretch. Over time this can improve range of movement | — |
| Feel | A gentle stretch — it shouldn’t be sore or uncomfortable | — |
| Time | Hold 20 to 30 seconds if possible | — |
| Sets | For example 2 to 3 sets of stretches, 2 to 3 times a day | 20 to 30 seconds × 2 to 3 sets = 40 to 90 seconds a session (our sum) |
For the calf stretch, the page’s example works out at 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 sets — 40 to 90 seconds a session, 2 to 3 times a day (our sum). On the foot page the stretch card itself doesn’t repeat the “build to 20 or 30 seconds” line found on the calf and ankle page; it is only in the stretching section.
To count how many days it takes to reach your target from a starting number and step, use the planner in how to build up exercise when it hurts.
Three sums — our example
| Example (ours) | Result | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Start at 3, add 2 every 3 days | 6 steps to 15 → 18 days | 3 → 5 → … → 13 → 15 |
| Calf stretch from 5 seconds, add 5 every 2 days | 3 steps to 20 seconds → 6 days | The page gives no step for holds |
| The 6-week mark | 6 weeks = 42 days | Get advice if not better within 6 weeks |
When to stop and when to get advice — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Stop | Stop if exercises make symptoms worse or cause new pain | — |
| Advice | If your foot pain worsens while following this advice, talk to a healthcare professional | In Korea, orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine (our gloss) |
| 6 weeks | If it hasn’t improved within 6 weeks, talk to a healthcare professional | 6 weeks = 42 days (our sum) |
Heel pain on your first steps in the morning is covered in plantar fasciitis; pain after running in running injuries.
Checklist
- ☐ A new foot problem? After a diagnosis or surgery, your clinician first
- ☐ Lean on a chair for the stretch (1); 2 to 4 sitting (3 can be lying)
- ☐ Start at 2 to 3; sets of 8 → a minute’s rest → 8, 2 to 3 times a day; at most 2 sets of 15
- ☐ Stretch to a gentle pull, 20 to 30 seconds
- ☐ Pain 0 to 5; stop if worse; advice if not better within 6 weeks
Questions that remain
Are these for plantar fasciitis?
The page says the information may be useful for a new foot problem, and that people with a diagnosed condition should follow their clinician. NHS inform has a separate page of exercises for foot conditions, which we didn’t read this time.
Should I do them barefoot?
The page says nothing about footwear.
Sources
- NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland) — Exercises for foot problems — source (no update date shown on the page; checked 28 October 2026). Who it is for, why, at first, safety; 4 exercises (standing calf stretch, big toe lift and hold, toe curl, seated heel raise) with video lengths; the 0 to 10 scale and 0 to 5; pain after; 2 to 3, every hour, 1 or 2 every few days; the set example (8, a minute, 8, 2 to 3 times a day); at most 2 sets of 15; stretches 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day; when to stop; 6 weeks.
- Not read. The 4 videos (titles and lengths only); the self-management page (linked only); the site’s “Exercises for foot conditions” page.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column, “our sum” and “our example”, and the Korean care gloss.
Where to check further
- Orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine — no better after 6 weeks, or worse.
- A physiotherapist — form and how many.
Written on 28 October 2026. The content is from NHS inform; the glosses are ours.
