Our leg muscles are the ones that constantly work almost throughout the day. Even when we are standing, the muscles in our legs and feet keep on working as they help us stand. Because of that, sore legs and feet is a common problem that thousands of people face daily. While few people worry and get them checked, neglecting your sore feet may cause many complications in the long run.
Our legs and feet house one of the strongest muscles in our entire body, and they can go through a lot of stress. As human beings, we walk almost 160,000 km in our entire lifetimes –that’s four times circling the earth at the equator. But like most, we don’t take them under consideration until they start to feel stressed and hurt.
Like walking, running, and all kinds of activities, standing for long hours may hurt the feet and jeopardize their health until we take good care of them. We will learn what hurts our feet and how to take care of them.
The reasons our feet hurt: standing long hours
When you keep standing for a long time, it affects the blood circulation in your feet. As the feet are not moving, these are the two most common problems people face.
Swelling of feet and legs
When you are standing still, the blood has no problem reaching down to your legs and feet, but it becomes difficult to get back up as there is no feet movement. The blood flow works against the gravity here and can’t function properly. This causes the blood to pool in the veins of your legs and feet, and that makes the feet swell and turn red. That also increases the blood pressure in those areas. In time, it starts to cause discomfort and eventually pain.
Leg and foot pain
Aside from swelling due to blood pooling in your feet, long hours of standing also puts a lot of pressure on the muscles, bones, tendons, and joints. From that, lactic acid builds up in those areas and can make your feet swell. Too much pressure on the bones and joints causes discomfort, fatigue, and cramps.
These two situations can lead to many medical conditions. The people who work in sales and other professions where they need to stand throughout their entire shifts suffer the most. Fortunately, there are a few tricks and tips to help you release the tension and relax, taking the pressure off of your feet.
Things you can do to release the stress from your feet from standing all day:
The basic mantra is not letting your feet stay in the same position for a long time. Follow the tips below to take care of your feet.
Walk when you can
Walking is one of the most beneficial exercises for everyone. Try to walk around a little bit if you have that chance. Walking will release stress and help with blood circulation, also saving the muscles from cramps.
Massage your feet
Standing for too long causes inflammation in your feet. Massaging them will increase fresh blood flow in those affected areas and reduce inflammation. Moreover, it helps the plantar flexor muscle move freely and reduces any pain.
Elevate your feet if you can
As soon as you lift your feet, the pooled blood in your legs and feet starts to move upwards, and that normalizes the blood circulation. It also releases stress from the muscles and joints and helps them neutralize. It is best to keep your feet in that position for at least ten minutes.
Stretch your legs
This is also an excellent tip that helps to neutralize the pressure and fatigue in your feet and legs. Moreover, it helps with the blood flow and releases the tension off your legs.
Wear supportive shoes
Many work shoes come with increased feet and heel support to maximize comfort when you’re standing for long hours. Make sure the shoes are a bit rigid and provide room to move your toes. Bigger, more rigid boots provide better support in these situations.
Conclusion
For the people who work in certain professions, it becomes unavoidable to stand for whole workdays. With the tips above, taking care of your feet and preventing them from swelling, pain, cramps, and fatigue just got easier.
