The most common stretching exercises target both the bottom of the foot and the back of the lower leg. A seated plantar fascia stretch involves crossing the affected foot over the opposite knee, gently pulling the toes back toward the shin, and feeling for tension along the arch. A wall calf stretch targets the gastrocnemius with the back knee straight, while a bent-knee variation targets the soleus. These stretches should feel firm but tolerable, not sharp or forceful.

AAOS describes a seated plantar fascia stretch held for 10 seconds and repeated multiple times, and also notes that physical therapy programs often focus on stretching the calf muscles and plantar fascia. (orthoinfo.aaos.org)