Although not exclusive, teachers, nurses and doctors tend to spend 90% of time at work, on their feet. Symptoms from standing for most of the day are fatigue and swelling in the legs, as well as discomfort in the feet, shins, calves. The knees, thighs, hips and lower back will also suffer, and we haven’t even hit upon various veins!
Teachers, nurses and doctors do move around during the day but if you are in a profession that requires you to stand a lot like being in retail or manufacturing then the best thing you can do is to move around rather than stand still. When you stand still the blood tends to collate in your lower limbs, causing stiffness in the legs and feet.
5 tips to help those sore legs
- Wear comfortable shoes with a thick sole, not ballet shoes and certainly not 4-inch heels. Most schools and hospitals, have hard flooring made of concreate, this is especially hard on the feet, which in turn leads to being hard on the legs and hips. Having shoes with thick soles helps to disperse the weight of the body, rather than focusing it on the balls and heels. Try inserts if you have a high arch.
- As soon as your students walk out the door, elevate your legs. This will reverse the effects of gravity. It will give you a well-deserved rest and some recovery time.
- Posture, posture. It’s easy to say stand-up straight, but we all know that slouching is something we all do especially when it’s been a busy day. Take care of your posture throughout the day by checking how you stand.
- Stand up straight, with your feet about shoulder-width apart
- Push your shoulders back
- Pull in your stomach
- Keep your weight on the balls of your feet
- Look straight ahead
- Let your arms hang down naturally at your sides.
- Do a few exercises after work, yoga and Pilates are great for stretching and giving you flexibility but you might be able to fit in the forward folding pose or the child’s pose, whilst at work.
- Rub in CBD cream for joints and muscles. Taylor’s 1000mg CBD Deep Relief Cream with a cooling formula is a natural alternative and doesn’t contain any side effects that most painkillers will have. By massaging the cream into the affected area, the CBD will interact with the natural receptors CB2, providing a signal to the enocannabinoid system, to reduce pain and inflammation.
Just because you have a job that makes you stand a lot of the time; doesn’t mean you have to suffer.
