From nearly the moment it strikes, plantar fasciitis can have an insidious way of dominating your life. Its characteristic heel pain tends to hit the hardest with the first few steps you take out of bed—an instant reminder of its presence every morning. And though you might find some relief throughout the day as the muscles in your feet loosen up, that discomfort tends to rear its head again with enough time spent standing or walking.

The condition occurs when the band of connective tissue spanning your arch, called your plantar fascia, becomes inflamed and irritated, which can happen for a bunch of reasons—after all, plantar fasciitis plagues as many as two million people yearly in the US.

Some of it is simple anatomy: The way we’re designed to walk involves flexing the toes upward and tightening this strap of tissue with each stride, and it’s possible that in some folks, the plantar fascia just bears more of that force than in others. Your arch height can play a role too. Those with flat feet tend to overpronate, or roll their feet inward, as they walk, which can pile extra pressure on that fascia, Jeffrey M. DeLott, DPM, a podiatric surgeon at Hartford HealthCare’s Connecticut Orthopaedic Institute, tells SELF. On the flip side, having super-high arches can lead to inherent tightness in this region just because of how the foot is shaped, he points out, which can also make you prone to plantar fasciitis.

And there are certainly lifestyle factors to weigh as well. Some of them can be pretty obvious, for instance being on your feet for hours on end or diving into a workout regimen featuring a ton of high-impact activities (like running or plyometrics) without building up your tolerance first, Christynne Helfrich, PT, DPT, an Illinois-based physical therapist at virtual clinic Hinge Health, tells SELF. But other everyday triggers can be more subtle. Below, you’ll find the behaviors that you might not realize could be making your plantar fasciitis pain worse, and what to do instead to take a load off your hardworking arches.

1. You often wear flimsy sandals, barefoot-style sneakers, or no shoes at all.

Bopping around in shoes with little if any arch support (like flats or flip-flops) can worsen plantar fasciitis by asking that band of tissue to work overtime, Dr. DeLott says. And the same goes for wearing minimalist sneakers or ones with zero drop—meaning, the heel and toe box fall at the same height (as opposed to the heel being elevated with more foam). These streamlined running shoes have become popular in recent years because they allow your feet and toes to move more naturally as you push off and land, which can strengthen their “intrinsic muscles,” Kaitlyn Laube Ward, DPM, a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon at Voyage Healthcare in Minnesota and resident expert at ZenToes, tells SELF. And in some people, zero-drop shoes may take pressure off the knees and hips, alleviating pain in those areas. But in folks with plantar fasciitis, these shoes just increase demand on your calves, Achilles tendons, and, yes, plantar fascia in ways that can spark more pain.

For the same reason, you also don’t want to spend ample time puttering around barefoot at home, especially if you have hardwood or tile floors (which have little give), Dr. Ward says. Each smack of foot to solid surface with zero support is a mini-assault on your poor plantar fascia. And that applies all the more if you’re engaging in an aerobic at-home workout—Dr. DeLott cautions strongly against doing that virtual dance-cardio class sans footwear.

What to do instead: Wear sneakers or other comfortable shoes with arch support as often as possible when you’re out and about, and especially if you’ll be on your feet for a while or exercising. They’ll help redistribute foot pressure, so there’s less strain on your plantar fascia, Dr. Helfrich says. (In the market? Check out our guide to podiatrist-approved shoes for plantar fasciitis.) You can also bolster the support of a pair of sneaks by slipping in some insoles, Dr. DeLott says—ideally rigid (versus gel-y or squishy) ones that fit to the natural shape of your arch and cup your heel for max stability and pain relief.

And as for what to wear while hangin’ at home? Dr. Ward recommends a comfy pair of slip-ons with ample arch support—we’ve got a list of ideal house shoes right this way.

2. You do a great deal of walking or running on an incline.

Don’t get us wrong: Ramping up the incline on a treadmill or taking a trail riddled with hills can certainly get your heart pumping or turn a casual stroll into a banger of a leg workout. But the extra oomph of an uphill climb can also strain your Achilles tendons and calves, which can then tug on your plantar fascia too, Dr. DeLott says. Particularly if you’re powering up a steep incline or you stay on a tilted surface for several minutes, you’re really “engaging that plantar fascia just to push off of your big toe joint,” he points out.

What to do instead: Steer clear of incline training while you’re in the throes of a plantar fasciitis flare-up, and keep this kind of exercise to a minimum otherwise. Running on a level surface (in supportive shoes—see above!) can serve as plenty a cardio workout without the extra yank on your plantar fascia. And as for leg-day ideas that won’t strain this tissue? Dr. Ward suggests focusing on open-chain exercises—where your feet aren’t fixed to a surface or the ground—like using the hamstring-curl or seated leg-extension machine at the gym. Popular PT exercises like glute bridges, clamshells, and fire hydrants are also safe bets, she adds, as are deadlifts with proper form, as they don’t involve much foot flexion.

3. You don’t usually bother with stretching your calves or hamstrings.

Stretching is one of those things that tends to fall the wayside, even among regular exercisers—perhaps you stick in a few stretches before a run or lob some onto your Pilates reformer class. But bypassing calf and hamstring stretches (whether or not you run or do leg day) can create some tightness with negative ripple effects on your plantar fasciitis.

That’s because of how your feet can bear the brunt of issues further upstream. In this case, your plantar fascia are linked to your Achilles tendons via the backs of your heels; those tendons, in turn, connect to your calves, which have ties with your hamstrings as the backside propellers of your legs. When any of the above are inflexible, they can’t pull their weight as easily, which transfers tension and strain downward, Dr. Helfrich says. “This mechanical chain overloads the plantar fascia and inflames it over time.”

What to do instead: The experts say to make a habit of warming up your hamstrings and calves before exercising (or otherwise being on your feet for a while) with some dynamic (a.k.a. moving) stretching and cooling down with a few quick static, or stationary, stretches post-workout.

Looking for ideas? Pre-workout, try a standing dynamic hamstring stretch to loosen up the full backsides of your legs—tap the heel of one leg in front of you and bend the other to swoop your upper body over the front leg and then back up (see a video here), and then switch legs, alternating sides for about 30 seconds. And once you’re in chill-down mode after exercising or running, go for a lunging calf stretch (place one foot in front of the other and lean forward while keeping the back heel on the ground) followed by a simple forward fold to relax both your calves and hammies. Hold each for 30 to 60 seconds, and breathe.

And if you suspect your legs are super tight, might we recommend this full leg-loosening yoga flow? It’s a yummy 10-minute combination of downward dogs and other simple poses that you can do any time, whether you’re looking to melt away some morning stiffness or soften tension from a day spent moving…or sitting.

4. You typically sleep on your stomach.

Physical therapists often recommend against snoozing front-side down mostly because it requires keeping your face turned to one side, which can futz with the balance of your head and neck muscles. (Not to mention the damage it can wreak on your lower back.) But a stomach sleeping position can also lock your feet in an unnatural position—think about how your toes have to curl under, the tops of them pressing against your mattress. This pose pushes your plantar fascia into a contracted or gripped position all night long, which can lead to an even sharper onset of pain with those first few morning steps, Dr. DeLott says.

What to do instead: Switch to sleeping on your back or side, if you can, to allow your feet to stay in a more relaxed position throughout the night. Dr. DeLott says your podiatrist or physical therapist might also suggest wearing a night splint or Strassburg Sock, which are slim devices that help lock your foot at about a 90-degree angle while you snooze (and ensure you aren’t inadvertently stressing out your fascia with any tossing and turning).

But of course, changing your sleep position can be easier said than done, not to mention dozing off while one or both feet are strapped into a special device. At the very least, Dr. DeLott suggests die-hard stomach sleepers with plantar fasciitis dangle their feet off the edge of the bed. This way, they’re free to fall into a relaxed position versus getting smushed into a ballet-esque pointed pose that could leave you writhing come morning.

5. You ignore or push through the pain.

It can be tempting to put off addressing plantar fasciitis—after all, you probably use your feet most every day and don’t want to be sidelined from activities you enjoy. But this condition can be a sneaky beast. What might seem like a manageable level of heel pain or a transient flare-up one day can spiral into something far worse and chronic: “You can develop micro tears within the fascia, which prompts the body to lay down scar tissue,” Dr. DeLott says. As the connective band thickens, it just becomes ever more painful, he explains. What’s worse: A case of plantar fasciitis that’s progressed to this point is also less responsive to the kinds of treatments a podiatrist might recommend, he adds.

What to do instead: If you haven’t yet been officially diagnosed with plantar fasciitis (by your primary care doc or a podiatrist), your first step is to make an appointment—this way, you can be sure that’s what you’re dealing with and discuss a treatment plan. Some of their initial recommendations will likely include the above: Avoid barefoot activity, wear supportive shoes (and/or insoles), keep your leg muscles limber, and cool it with the high-impact stuff and incline training. Dr. Helfrich also recommends rolling your arch and heel on a frozen water bottle each morning for some instant pain relief.

If you’ve tried these DIY modifications to no avail, it’s even more important to see or follow up with a pro. There are a bunch of additional solutions they can offer, like anti-inflammatory meds and cortisone injections to extinguish some of that fiery inflammation. Newer “regenerative” treatments like shockwave therapy and platelet-rich plasma (which involves drawing a bit of your blood, isolating a component of it, and injecting that into your heel) are designed to “create a cellular response” that encourages healing, Dr. DeLott adds. At the same time, physical therapy can be immensely helpful for both relieving pain—for instance, via massage techniques—and addressing the muscle tightness or imbalance in the legs that may have contributed to the issue in the first place.

Just remember: The sooner you seek out this kind of care for plantar fasciitis, the more effectively it’ll work, and the better your chances of regaining your (pain-free) footing.

Related:

• 3 Quick Stretches to Do Immediately After Every Run
• Why Your Big Toes Play Such a Huge Role in Your Health and Fitness
• 6 Common Habits Podiatrists Say Are Wrecking Your Feet

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