Plantar Fasciitis and Weight — Even 2kg Makes a Difference

Doctors always said the same thing: 'Take medicine, do physical therapy, don't exercise.' But without exercise, you gain weight. More weight means more impact on your feet. More impact means more fascia damage.

Why didn't anyone mention this connection? In 4 years across 2 clinics, not once did anyone talk about weight.

I was stuck in this cycle from 2022 to 2024 — about 2 years. I was 72-73kg when it started, and went up to 75kg without exercise. 2-3kg doesn't sound like much, but your feet definitely feel it.

Plantar fasciitis has an interesting quirk. Only the first steps hurt — keep walking and you barely notice the pain. The fascia stretches as you walk.

I used this to start walking in 2023. Fast walking after meals, 50 minutes a day. The first 5 minutes hurt, but after that I was fine.

In 6 months, I went from 75kg to 68-70kg. The difference was clear. Morning first-step pain decreased, and my feet felt lighter when walking.

Losing weight by walking isn't hard. Maintaining it is. When winter came, I stopped walking, gained weight back, and the pain returned. This pattern repeated.

Now I've switched to running in my New Balance 1080s, managing weight more efficiently. Running burns way more calories per minute than walking.

The key point: if you have plantar fasciitis, weight management is part of the treatment. Even if your doctor doesn't mention it.