You swing your legs out of bed, put your foot down and wince. Those first few steps across the bedroom can be the most painful part of the day. Then, after a few minutes, it often eases. This guide explains why the first steps after sleep can hurt so much, and simple things to try before you get up.

Why the first steps can hurt

The thick band of tissue that runs along the sole of your foot, from your heel to your toes, helps support your arch. Overnight, your foot rests with your toes pointing down, so this tissue and your calf muscles stay in a shortened position for hours.

When you take your first steps, that tissue is suddenly stretched and loaded with your full body weight. If it is already sensitive, this can cause a sharp pain under your heel or arch. As you keep walking, the tissue warms up and the pain usually eases. The same thing often happens after sitting for a long time.

Why it can take a while to settle

Long-term heel and arch pain can be frustrating, because it often takes months rather than weeks to settle. One researcher in this area described it typically taking around nine to ten months to settle fully. The encouraging part is that there are simple things you can do every day that make a real difference.

A stretch to try before your first steps

One stretch has particularly good research behind it. In a trial of people with long-term heel pain, a stretch that targets the sole of the foot worked better than a standard calf stretch in the first couple of months. The key was doing it before taking the first steps in the morning.

Sitting on the edge of your bed:

• Cross your sore foot over your other knee.
• Hold your toes and gently pull them back towards your shin until you feel a stretch along the sole of your foot.
• With your other hand, you should feel the tissue along your arch become firm, like a guitar string.
• Hold for a count of ten, then relax. Repeat ten times.

In the trial, people did this three times a day, including before getting up and before standing after a long sit.

Other things to try before you stand

A few more movements can help your foot prepare for those first steps. Still sitting on the edge of your bed, you could try:

• Circling your ankle slowly in each direction.
• Pointing your foot down and pulling your toes up, ten times.
• Rolling your foot gently over a water bottle or small ball, if you keep one by the bed.

Your first steps

When you do stand up, having supportive footwear ready by the bed can help. Slipping into supportive slippers or shoes, rather than walking barefoot on a hard floor, can make those first steps easier. Some people find it helps to take the first few steps slowly, holding onto furniture, while the foot warms up.

Through the day

Your foot often feels the same way after sitting for a long time, like after a meeting or a long drive. Doing the stretch before you stand up can help here too.

Supportive shoes with some cushioning tend to feel better than very flat, thin-soled shoes. Strengthening your calves can also help your feet cope better with load. If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of heel raises you can work through at your own pace.

What to take away

• Stretch the sole of your foot before taking your first steps in the morning.
• Hold each stretch for a count of ten, ten times, three times a day.
• Circle your ankle and point your foot before you stand.
• Keep supportive slippers or shoes by the bed.
• Stretch before standing after long periods of sitting.

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