Sitting gets all the attention, but standing all day is just as harmful 

“Sitting is the new smoking,” has been proclaimed by health blogs for years now, and with good reason. But just because a certain percentage of the workforce is crossing over into an office setting doesn’t mean that other jobs cause any less pain. Standing, while causing less spinal compression than sitting, still involves between 100 and 220 kg of downward pressure to the spine depending on the activity, and that’s with good posture! Of course the solution is to vary your position frequently throughout the day but many people’s jobs pigeonhole them into sitting or standing for long periods of time. 

Standing causes significant fatigue

Muscle fatigue, whether it be in the legs or core, means that the support network, which holds you upright in a low-pressure standing position, comes under threat. The body dislikes static positions and loads, but routine and timely breaks that get your blood flowing are hard to come by. How do you break yourself out of this veritable quandary? The best thing you can do to mitigate the toll of too much standing is:

• Choose comfortable, supportive footwear
• Move around as much as possible- to improve circulation and reduce muscle fatigue
• Stretch regularly: on any and all breaks, make sure you stretch to account for sore spots. This will decrease musculoskeletal discomfort and improve circulation. 
• Alternate between standing and leaning for support if possible. 

Outside of work, choose natural care methods like chiropractic and muscle strengthening. At our office in Westwood, we are specialists in caring for your spine’s condition both in and out of the workplace. If you want to use natural modalities to maintain spinal alignment, improve strength in the core stabilizing muscles and find relief from particularly tense regions in the back, give our office in Westwood a call to schedule an appointment today.