Plantar Fasciitis Relief takes a whole-body approach to one of the most common causes of foot and heel pain. About 1 in 10 people experience plantar fasciitis during their lifetime, yet many continue to struggle despite stretching, icing, orthotics and other conventional approaches.
FitAlign creator Michaelle Edwards looks beyond the painful area of the foot to examine whole-body alignment, breathing, posture, muscle balance and the way forces travel through the body into the feet.
Over the years, I have worked with many people who came to me limping with plantar fasciitis pain and walked out of their first FitAlign session without pain. I have seen this happen repeatedly, which is one reason I believe it is so important to look beyond the painful foot and address whole-body alignment, breathing, muscle balance and the forces traveling through the feet. Individual results vary.
This two-hour program uses resistance breathing, functional movement, neuromuscular repatterning and activated self-massage to strengthen and support the feet while improving alignment throughout the entire body.
Why More Stretching May Be the Wrong Approach
Most people with plantar fasciitis are told to wear a boot at night to flex the ankle and stretch the calf and bottom of the foot. The assumption is that the plantar surface is short and tight and therefore needs to be lengthened.
FitAlign looks at this very differently.
In the FitAlign model, the plantar surface of the foot functions as part of a larger posterior extensor chain extending from the back of the head through the spinal extensors, glutes, hamstrings and deep calf muscles to the bottom of the foot.
With common forward-posture patterns, tissues along the back of the body may already be held in a long, tensioned position. The ligaments and fascia supporting the feet may also become overstretched and less effective at maintaining the balanced tension needed for a resilient, functional arch.
At the same time, the anterior flexor chain can become habitually shortened. This pattern includes muscular relationships extending from the head and neck through the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), chest and trunk, hips and thighs and into the lower body.
People tend to age going forward. The head moves forward, the torso flexes, and the hips and knees may increasingly remain bent. The posterior tissues are then required to manage those forward forces. The back of the body can feel extremely “tight” even though portions of the chain are already being held long under tension.
That's an important distinction:
A tissue that feels tight isn't necessarily a tissue that needs more stretching.
Repeatedly stretching the calf and plantar surface without addressing whole-body alignment may therefore miss the larger postural pattern. For someone whose supporting tissues are already excessively lengthened or unstable, continuing to stretch them may be counterproductive.
Your Feet Don't Work in Isolation
Your feet are influenced by everything above them—the ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, spine, rib cage and head. Flat or collapsed arches, ligament laxity, muscular imbalance and shortened flexor patterns can all influence how forces are distributed through the feet.
FitAlign uses the movements of breathing to create lift and support throughout the torso, helping improve whole-body organization so that the feet aren't continually absorbing unnecessary forces created elsewhere in the body.
Rather than treating the painful plantar fascia as an isolated structure, you'll learn global, breath-based exercises designed to improve alignment from the inside out.
Make Your Feet Work Like Loaded Springs
Healthy feet aren't meant to be rigid. They need a combination of strength, elasticity and balanced tension so they can absorb and return energy as you walk and move.
Think of your feet as loaded springs. When the bones, muscles, fascia and supporting structures are working together with balanced tensional forces, the feet can adapt to the ground, manage load and rebound more efficiently.
The goal isn't simply to make your feet more flexible. It's to develop the strength, alignment and balanced tension that allow them to function dynamically.In This Program You'll Learn How To:
Strengthen the feet using safe, comfortable movements rather than aggressive stretching
Stop automatically stretching the plantar surface simply because it feels tight
Use resistance breathing to create greater lift and whole-body postural support
Understand the relationship between the anterior flexor and posterior extensor chains
Recognize how forward posture can influence forces traveling into the feet
Explore how the feet, knees, hips, pelvis and spine influence one another
Understand how flat feet, ligament laxity and muscle imbalance can affect foot stability
Use activated self-massage to stimulate and strengthen the feet
Develop better balance, proprioception and foot awareness
Improve whole-body alignment so forces can be distributed more efficiently
Recognize everyday standing and posture habits that may aggravate foot discomfort
Understand how different types of footwear can influence posture and foot function
Standing Can Be Harder on Your Feet Than Moving

For some people with plantar fasciitis, standing still can aggravate foot pain more than movement because body weight remains continuously loaded through the same structures.

In this program, you'll learn Michaelle's “Heron Stand,” a one-leg balance position that gives you another strategy for organizing your body while standing rather than continually loading both feet in the same habitual position.
The Heron Stand also challenges balance and proprioception while teaching the nervous system a different way to organize the body against gravity.Change the Whole Pattern
A painful foot doesn't necessarily mean the solution is found only in the foot.
FitAlign teaches you to recognize the global posture and movement patterns that determine how your feet meet the ground in the first place. Instead of exercising the body as disconnected parts, you'll use breathing and whole-body movement to develop strength, support and balanced tension from your feet through your entire postural system.

These aren't techniques you use only during a workout. You'll learn principles you can apply while standing, walking, exercising and moving throughout everyday life.

Strengthen your feet. Improve your alignment. Change the way your body manages gravity and ground forces—and help your feet become strong, responsive “loaded springs” again.

Persistent or severe foot and heel pain should be appropriately evaluated, since pain in this area can have causes other than plantar fasciitis.