If you haven’t heard this one yet, experts are saying that sitting is the new smoking. According to their robust research and findings, sitting too much on the job not only ups your risk of adverse health issues, but it’s also a slow and sure killer. Well, if sitting is the new smoking, then standing all day on the job must be the new form of torture.
Don’t believe me? What would you call a very unpleasant activity that only ends in pain, discomfort, and life-threatening health conditions?
The fact of the matter is that whilst we prefer to be as comfortable as possible, lazing around the house doesn’t really pay the bills. Most of today’s jobs require workers to be up and on their feet for the better part of the day. Professions like waiters, clerks, masons, carpenters, landscapers, bank tellers, data entry jobs, security guards and even chefs have to work on their feet. You ever seen a chef whipping up a gourmet meal while sitting on a chair? I don’t think so. Fortunately, there are techniques and products that you could use to ease the burden of standing on the job all day long. The bad news is, all the sole inserts won’t help you if you keep repeating certain destructive habits. Here are the top most common mistakes made when standing all day on the job.
Identifying the Mistakes
Mistake 1: Standing Only
While most employees think that standing still saves energy and reduces effort, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Anatomically, we weren’t designed to stand still in once place without moving. If you don’t want to deal with an endless host of foot and health issues, you need to move. Instead of holding fast to your position like Trump’s new bodyguards, do as many mobility exercises on your post as you can. I don’t care if it makes you look like you want to pee really bad, it will work wonders in the long run. At the end of the day, your feet will thank you if you stand less.
Mistake 2: Losing Track of Time
This happens to the best of us; we get so lost in our work, activities and the internet that we forget we’ve been standing for hours. If you’re like me, you probably realize that you’ve been standing all day when your foot cramps up and becomes numb. You’re also more likely to get into the wrong posture if you forget how to stand the right way. Instead of getting too immersed in your job, the key is taking a breather now and then to walk around and rest. Don’t worry about the trending stories on the internet and the hot topics on social media; they’ll still be waiting when you get back to your work post.
Mistake 3: Standing For the Wrong Task
Believe it or not, a lot of workers actually subject themselves to endless hours of standing for the absolute wrong reasons. For starters, workers in an assembly factory have to stand up so as to stretch out and reach all the necessary components. All this stretching about while firmly rooted in one place can be devastating for your back. Instead of putting your back and leg muscles through all this torment, it would be better to collect all the necessary components first and work in a seated position. Alternatively, you could also walk around the table instead of stretching your spine off.
Another scenario involves a particular group of people who actually stand while working to lose weight. Most of them are usually writers, office workers, bloggers, tech experts as well as a host of other workers who are tired of spending all day on their chairs. Since everyone is scared of getting a heart attack at the comfort of their couches or in their luxurious corporate offices, standing at work has become all the rage. Sure, standing all day may help you burn more calories, but it also wears you out quickly and takes some much-needed concentration out of the job. If you really want to lose weight and keep fit, exercising regularly will work ten times better.
Final Word
The common mistakes that people make when standing all day could be very detrimental to your long term health. Having mentioned just a few, there’s actually a slew of mistakes; it is up to you to monitor and detect the rest. Remember, the key to making it to the end of the day is spotting some of these silly habits and avoiding them like the plague.