Preventing the muscle fatigue that comes with excessive standing

If you stand in the same position all day, you are brutally aware of the fatigue and pain that comes with your job. The body actively dislikes any position that forces it to remain static- no matter how good your posture is, your body is still going to say no at a certain point. While sitting has gotten all the bad rap recently (and for good reason), standing still causes its fair share of spinal degeneration. A person with average-weight, standing with upright posture, is under about 100kg of downward pressure on their spine. If you are unable to change positions frequently, you really start to feel this compression:

• The bottoms of your feet become sore
• Your legs become achy
• Your lower back starts to ache 

This is what eventually leads you to move- to stretch, to sit, to walk around. You simply can’t stand it anymore. Well we have an action plan for preventing this fatigue from taking a toll on your spinal health. 

What can I do if I must stand all day?

1. Choose supportive footwear. This will be the biggest difference maker if you are unable to move very much during the course of your job. 
2. Stretch frequently: you don’t necessarily have to move from where you are standing. But stretching is a must: it keeps your circulation flowing, and activates certain muscles that are involved in supporting your spine.
3. Move when you can: alternate between leaning and standing. Try not to let yourself become pigeonholed into the same exact position, even if that means you look like a jitterbug at times. Movement, however slight, is essential to maintaining good circulation. 
4. Outside of work, strengthen your core stabilizing muscles. Do your lumbar vertebrae a favor and condition the muscles that matter for sharing the burden of your upper body’s weight. 

And if you sense that all this standing is starting to damage your spine, be sure to give us a call at Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center. We are standing by to help the workers of our Milpitas community keep their spines strong and upright.