Your body can be trained to cope with being to the feet the entire day without feeling pain through muscle toning and proper alignment, and this is something you will hear from the experts.
It is normal to feel some strain, pain, and muscle weakness after spending the entire day on your feet. Your body is aching and the only thing you want is sitting down. This could be your body’s way of telling you that it is off balance and weak – but you can say goodbye to foot pain by strengthening weak areas.
Use the four strategies below to get started:
1. Choosing proper footwear
Flip-flops, unsupportive flats (such as ballet slippers), strappy sandals, and high heels tend to wreak havoc on the body. When wearing shoes that end up forcing the weight to be transferred away from the heel and towards the toe (like high heels and pumps), there is a dramatic shift in gait. If you are wearing shoes that have a thin strap of plastic, it ends up affecting the way you walk, shortens the strides, and causes the scrunching of toes, and this leads to an increase in the angle of the ankle. When choosing what to put on your foot, make sure you choose a shoe that is comfortable and provides support from your feet, and this is according to the experts. Take a look at the Orthotic Shop for good shoes. If you want to add more comfort to your shoes, then consider wearing insoles because they are going to provide you with extra cushioning.
2. Standing tall
Many educators usually have pain in their back, necks, and shoulders, and it is not hard to figure out why this is the case. Poor posture characterizes the culture, especially an imbalance referred to as “forward head” (this is also referred to as “scholar’s neck”, “text neck”, or “reading neck”). This is where the head is extending forward beyond the shoulder, the right place for it to rest is atop the spine. When the head extends this way, it causes a shift in the center of mass of your body to forward. What this ends up doing is increasing pressure on the foot’s arch and the muscles supporting it, which forces them to work harder and causes a strain. One way of correcting this problem is by making sure your ears are over the shoulders and the shoulders over the hips. Picture a little string traveling through the shoulders to the hips. Another tip to use is using your off time to flex your feet towards the shin because it is going to help in strengthening the muscles in your front of the lower leg. This is going to help in supporting the arch of the foot.
3. Moving around
View your body as that of an athlete. Before getting started with your day, have some stretches, and do the same at the end of the day so you can cool down. Walking to work will be enough to warm up your muscles. If you are a teacher, incorporate activities that will force you to move around. Have a moving or stretching break every 30 minutes. This is going to help both the teacher and the students while instilling good habits at the same time. Use your off hours to have a daily routine that involves exercises, especially ones that involve stretching like Yoga.
4. Building strength
The head of a human weighs 10-12 pounds, and this is the same size as the adult (woman’s) bowling ball. When your head is leaning 15 degrees forward, this tilt is going to make your head feel like it weighs 30 pounds. The further forward the lean, the heavier you are going to feel. Picture holding a bowling ball in front the entire day, which should give you a rough idea of what your body has to deal with when you have a poor posture.
Building strength in your abdominals, hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors will help in supporting this weight. When you build muscles, functional capacity increases. When hunching forward, the skeleton isn't able to provide support, and this is where muscles have to come in and provide support.
Strengthening muscles that help in standing upright is a good idea because it will lead to less pain and strain.
There are two exercises you should do twice a week for 15 minutes that are going to strengthen the target muscles, which will make it easier for you to spend time on your feet without having to go through a lot of pain.
Deadlifts: Deadlifts will be effective because they work both the hamstrings and glutes. Start by standing up and making a fist like you were holding a dumbbell. Make sure the palms are facing the thighs. Unlock the knees, and make sure the back remains straight, then slide hands down the thighs till half-way down the shins (you should not be leaning forward, make sure the weight is on your heels). When you start feeling tightness in the back of your thigh, then know that you have exhausted your range of motion. Return to the standing position you were before, then repeat the process. When you notice your body getting stronger, consider adding dumbbells then increase weight. You should try three sets of 10 reps, and having a two-minute break between the sets.
Side-lying Hip Abduction: Lie on the side then bend the leg that you are lying on. Strengthen the other leg so it can come in line with the torso. Raise the top log until it is in parallel with the ground, hip height is the highest you can go. You can add cuff weight to the ankles because you are going to get stronger. Do three sets of 10 reps with 2-minutes rests between the sets.
Disclaimer: Content from the ConsciousLifeNews.com website and blog is not intended to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on this website is intended for general consumer understanding and is NOT intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. As health and nutrition research continuously evolves, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information presented on this website.
