Gently pull the toes toward your body, feeling a stretch along the bottom of your foot.

Hold your left toes with your left hand.

Sit on a chair on the edge of the bed or couch, with your left foot resting on your right knee.

Gently pull your toes toward your upper body, feeling a stretch through the right heel.

If you can't reach, use a band or towel looped around the toes and grasped in your hands.

Bend forward toward your toes, and grasp your foot with your hand.

Straighten your right leg and flex your right foot so the toes point toward the ceiling.

To stretch the achilles tendon, follow these steps: Makarokiy recommends stretches that target the achilles tendon, which connects your calf to your heel, and the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from your heel to your toes. If they do contract, causing a cramp, stretches can help tease the cramp out. That's because stretching before bed lengthens your muscles, making them looser and less likely to contract. It can also stop a cramp in its tracks when it strikes. Stretching regularly before bed can reduce the frequency and intensity of nocturnal leg cramps, including foot cramps. Stretch before bed or when a cramp strikes Here's five ways to get fast, sustained relief.ġ. Luckily, those issues can be addressed, and get you back to having a good night's sleep. 'If you're experiencing foot cramps, it's very likely from muscle tightness, fatigue, improper shoes, or dehydration,' Makarovskiy says.

However, if you frequently get foot cramps you should speak with a doctor to rule out serious underlying conditions like liver disease or nerve damage that can make foot cramps worse. They have a variety of causes, most of which are not serious.

Ilya Makarovskiy, a podiatrist at Staten Island University Hospital. They occur most often in the arches and toes, and can last for seconds or up to a minute, says Dr. Andrew Wilson, a podiatrist with Mercy Personal Physicians.įoot cramps are an involuntary contraction of the muscles in the feet. A foot cramp can be alarming and painful, but almost everyone will experience them at some point or another, says Dr. You're drifting off to sleep when suddenly a sharp, stabbing feeling in your foot jolts you awake.

Foot arch cramps during exercise