There are lots of stretches you can do to reduce pain after work. After standing all day, the blood supply to your muscles is significantly reduced, causing fatigue and pain in the muscles of the legs, back and neck. This is why it’s important to stretch out the muscles and help your blood to circulate around your body.
To reduce the pain you feel after working a long shift, there are a variety of stretches you can do. We’ve compiled five stretches for standing all day that are easy to do at home.
Calf Raises
Standing all day reduces the circulation around your body which causes aches and swelling. Calf raises help pump blood out of the foot, where it may have pooled while you were standing, and back around the body.
Calf raises strengthen the gastrocnemius and soleus. Stronger calf muscles provide better stability and balance and a decreased risk of ankle and knee injuries.
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- Stand tall with your abdominal muscles pulled in.
- Push through the balls of your feet and raise your heels until you are standing on your toes.
- Slowly lower back down.
- Repeat
Toe-Touch Stretch
A standing toe-touch stretch primarily stretches your hamstrings which is the three-muscle group in the back of each thigh. It also works the erector-spinae muscles in your lower back.
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- Hold your arms above your head and stretch towards the ceiling.
- Pull your abdominal muscles in.
- Bend forward from the waist and allow your weight to roll your body towards the ground.
- Reach your hands towards your toes. You may find that you can’t touch your toes or that you have a slight bend in your legs, but this is perfectly fine.
- Hold the stretch for eight seconds and return to the starting position.
- Repeat.
Back Extension
Back extension exercises can strengthen lower back muscles and the muscles in your buttocks, hips and shoulders.
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- Lie face down on your mat with your palms facing down beside your shoulders.
- Keeping your neck long, arch your back and push down on your hands so the front of your body lifts off the mat.
- Breathe and hold for eight seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat.
Child’s Pose
Child's Pose is a beginner yoga pose that stretches the muscles of the low back and the inner thighs.
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- Kneel on the floor with your toes together and your knees hip-width apart.
- Place your hands on the top of your thighs.
- As you begin to lower your torso between your knees, extend your arms alongside your torso with your palms facing down.
- Relax and rest in this position for as long as needed.
Piriformis Stretch
The piriformis is a muscle that runs from your sacrum to your thigh bone. Stretching this muscle can help with a variety of issues, such as knee and ankle pain and plantar fasciitis.
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- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground.
- Move your right ankle above your left knee and leave it resting on your left thigh.
- Put your hands around your left thigh and pull it toward you.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on the other side.
Another thing you can do to reduce pain, such as aching feet, is invest in a pair of shoes that are appropriate for your role. At Shoes For Crews, we provide footwear for waitresses, bartenders, doctors, warehouse operatives and more. To find a pair perfect for your job, click here to take a look.
Or to discover more stretches for standing all day - as well as remedies to help with aching feet - take a look at our latest download.
Discover More Home Remedies For Aches and Pains
There are a variety of risks associated with every job. Nurses are more at risk of developing repetitive strain injury whereas bartenders are more at risk of developing tendonitis. Although these conditions are common, it’s still possible to reduce the chances of developing them yourself.
In our guide, we cover stretches and remedies you can do at home to take care of your body and reduce the chances of these conditions occurring. Take a look for yourself - click the banner below.