When you’re on your feet all day, the workday wears on your body. Standing in one place can cause back pain, headaches, and general fatigue. Walking on hard floors can give you tight muscles and lower back pain. And the tenser your body becomes, the more prone you become to aches, pains, and injury. As a Cicero employment agency, we know how important workplace safety is.
Fortunately, doing a few simple stretches throughout the day can lessen your pain, make you more alert and productive, reduce your stress, and help prevent your work routine from causing you any long-term discomfort.
Try these stretches throughout the day or on breaks:
Seated Leg Stretch
It’s important to keep your thighs and back loosened up during the day to avoid tension and prevent injury. A great way to do that is to grab a chair on break to perform a few seated stretches. Extend your legs until your legs, the chair, and the floor form an acute triangle. While keeping your back as straight as possible, extend your arms and slide them slowly down your legs. Keep going until you feel a gentle stretch. Hold the stretch for 15 – 30 seconds, and then sit up straight.
Knee Hug
Standing on one foot, bend the other knee. Keeping your back straight, wrap your hands around the bent knee and pull it toward your chest until you feel the stretch. Hold it there for 15 – 30 seconds, and then switch legs.
Overhead Reach
Standing with your back straight, reach one hand over your head and toward the opposite side of your body. Hold the stretch for 15 – 30 seconds, and then repeat with your opposite hand.
Calf Stretch
By the end of a day on your feet, your calves take quite a beating. Loosen them up by positioning yourself two to three feet from a wall and taking a step forward with one leg. Keeping your rear leg planted firmly on the floor and your back straight, reach for the wall and lean your body into it, keeping your back leg and torso in a straight line. Hold the stretch and repeat with the other leg.
Quick Tension Reducer
At least hourly, drop your hands to your sides and shake them out. Shrug your shoulders and relax your neck. Turn your head slowly to each side until you feel a gentle stretch.
For more advice on improving your experience at work, or to start looking for your next job, contact an Alternative Staffing specialist today.
