If you’re one of the thousands of American workers (cashiers, factory workers, retail sales clerks, and such) who make their living standing for prolonged periods of time, you know your feet suffer for your job.
Prolonged standing on concrete or other hard surfaces can lead to occupational hazards like stiff legs, lower back pain, and sore feet. When you work on a hard floor, it’s like the impact of a hammer, pounding your heel with every step. And it can eventually lead to severe and chronic health problems.
Common Problems from Standing all Day
Prolonged standing and/or walking can cause:
- Poor posture
- Swollen/painful feet or legs
- Bunions
- Plantar fasciitis
- Heel spurs
- Achilles tendinitis
- Metatarsalgia
- Varicose veins
- Knee problems
- Lower back pain
- Neck and shoulder stiffness and pain
- Muscle soreness and fatigue
- Increased risk of knee or hip arthritis
Our feet are essential to standing since our arches act as shock absorbers, providing strength and stability. When our arches stop working due to overuse, poor foot position, or flat feet, the joints in our body can become stiff, leading to tendon and ligament damage. The muscles then become stressed and strained from holding you upright for so long without rest – making you more vulnerable to injury. Also, prolonged standing reduces the blood flow to your muscles, causing your veins to become inflamed, and/or your feet, ankles, and legs to swell. Eventually, this muscle fatigue affects your knees, hips, and spine.
How Can These Problems Be Prevented?
Things you can do to reduce these issues include:
- Sit and move as much as possible, especially during breaks.
- Try to rearrange your work area to – keep items within easy reach, avoid awkward postures, have space to move around, and include a footstool or something on which to rest one foot when standing.
- Stand with good posture with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees straight, but not locked. Hold your head up; and your shoulders should be back and straight.
- Stand with one foot in front of the other, not side by side.
- Periodically shift your weight from one leg to the other.
- Use an anti-fatigue rubber floor mat to stand on.
- Wear comfortable shoes that are sturdy with thick soles and provide good arch support. Your shoes should be low-heeled (1 to 2 inches) and not change the shape of your foot. Avoid wearing flats when standing for long periods of time.
- Wear cotton, wool, or moisture-wicking socks.
- Have two pairs of work shoes that you can rotate and allow to dry out for 24 hours.
- Lose extra weight, if needed, to reduce stress on the joints.
In order to reduce the common problems caused by prolonged standing, custom orthotics, like the ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotics, can provide your feet with the support they need to reduce muscle fatigue. The ezWalker® is biomechanically designed to provide maximum support for your longitudinal, transverse, and metatarsal arches. It has been proven to improve foot health in as little as 6 months (the average is 1 year).
The ezWalker® is ultra thin, 3/4 length, and transfers easily from shoe to shoe. You’ll no longer need special shoes to wear your custom orthotics. Plus, the ezWalker® can be worn in almost any type of footwear – dress shoes, heavy-duty work shoes, and casual footwear.
The ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotic can be purchased via the Internet; therefore, anyone, from anywhere, can own one. We also offer a 90-day, money-back guarantee. So, you’ve got nothing to lose, but your pain. Try it today!
ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotics – Because … when your feet feel good, you feel good.
