Q: I have to stand all day at work for 13 hour shifts.  Are there any simple exercises or stretches I can do just to keep myself in shape?  I’m so tired by the time I get home that I don’t have the energy to work out!

A: Although it may seem effortless, standing all day requires strength and stamina – which is why leg fatigue and back aches are very common for people employed in such occupations.  Retail, food service, construction, landscape, education, and medicine are just a few of the major employment sectors that involve standing for long periods of time during the workday.  Fortunately, there are several things you can do to improve your strength and reduce that end-of-day fatigue.

Focus on Strengthening Your Legs First

Exercise has the wonderful ability to increase both your energy levels and the flow of oxygen and nutrients throughout your body.  If you are consistently working out (at least 3 times per week), then you are already helping to strengthen and energize your body for your strenuous job.  If whole exercise sessions are difficult to work into your schedule, then try to incorporate just 10-15 minutes of strengthening exercises each day.  Four 15-minute segments in a week equals two half-hour sessions – which is plenty of time to achieve strength gains, especially if you’re new to exercise.

During your workouts, focus on lower body strengtheners such as lunges, squats, romanian deadlifts, leg curls, leg extensions, calf raises, wall sits, hip bridges, etc.  Lunges and squats, in particular, are two of the best lower body exercises in the book.  They strengthen and tone everything below the waist!

(Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of these exercises to post.  Eventually I’ll be able to post examples, but until then, check out the exercise library at NASMPro for animated illustrations).

Then Strengthen Your Core

Core strength is THE most important aspect of fitness, yet it is often the weakest link in a person’s muscular structure.  Most sedentary adults are chained to a desk 5 days a week, where core strength and postural awareness get overshadowed by looming deadlines and a high-stress environment.  Having a strong core will not only allow you to function better (both at your desk and away from it), it will help prevent back and leg pain as you get older and less active.  This is especially true if your job requires you to be on your feet all day!

The best core strength exercises to include in your routine are: Continue reading “How To Avoid Leg Fatigue From Standing” »