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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is it reasonable to be on your feet for 6+ hours a day

88 replies

Rosebel · 07/10/2021 23:10

If you have a job that involves walking pretty much solidly for 6 hours did it affect your health?
Three years in (although I had a break for maternity) and I still get pain in my shoulders, back and legs. As for my poor feet...
A couple of other people I work with have similar issues and there's a part of me that wonders how good it is for your health to be walking for 6 hours.
Just wondering how other people found it and if there's a way to stop being in constant pain.

OP posts:
FelicityBeedle · 07/10/2021 23:13

Good shoes and keeping your weight down. I say that as someone who follows neither of those bits of advice but works 12 hour shifts on her feet.

Missmissmiiiiiiiiisss · 07/10/2021 23:15

Yes as a teacher I was on my feet for the vast majority of the day.
Very comfortable shoes help!

sweeneytoddsrazor · 07/10/2021 23:16

Very good shoes is the best I can suggest. I am often on my feet for 6 hours or more a day, sometimes it aches other times its fine

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 07/10/2021 23:16

I'd say it's healthier than a job sat on your arse for 6+ hours a day 😁

lilacdinosaur · 07/10/2021 23:17

I know what you mean. I Worked as a nursery nurse for 10 years before having DD and worked 4 10.5 hour shifts a week, other than an hours lunch break I never really sat down all day and I was exhausted by the end of the week.
I never actually realised how much it took its toll until I went on maternity leave. 2 years on I'd say I'm slowly starting to feel better but my feet and joints still ache daily.

MoreThanAnOffDay · 07/10/2021 23:17

Yes. I did a retail cafe job. 10 hour shifts most days.

lilacdinosaur · 07/10/2021 23:18

Definitely invest in a good pair of comfortable shoes

Titsywoo · 07/10/2021 23:18

I'm on my feet most of the day for work with no issues but I'm moving around a lot. I had a job many years ago where I had to stand in the same spot for hours on end and that used to kill my feet!

Ragwort · 07/10/2021 23:18

To be honest I feel much better for being 'on my feet' all day - I work in retail, I have far less back aches and general aches and pain than when I worked in an office .. and I am older now at 63, worked in an office in my 20s & 30s but much better now!

steff13 · 07/10/2021 23:19

As an office worker, there's a trend right now of "stand-up desks," because standing is better for you than sitting.

Yubaba · 07/10/2021 23:19

I’ve been on my feet 9 hours a day for the last 24 years, you get used to it but I have terrible plantar fasciitis and have wear a foot support, I also have a few spider veins in my legs but I don’t get them out often enough to care!
I would absolutely hate to work at a desk all day.

Dojacatpaws · 07/10/2021 23:19

You mean looking after young children?

PiesNotGuys · 07/10/2021 23:25

I can’t deal with jobs that need me to sit still, I don’t sit still well, so I’ve always had active jobs and they often come with 12 hour shifts.

I don’t know if it has affected my health. Probably, in that I don’t worry about calories. Probably, in that I have plantar fasciitis, dodgy hips and really strong core muscles.

Good and bad I’d say. Unreasonable, no.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 07/10/2021 23:27

Done it in loads of jobs.

You need to make sure that your feet and arches are properly supported, which means good, supportive shoes (preferably lace ups) and possibly orthotics if your ankles drop inwards and/or your knees turn off centre because of things like weak leg muscles.

Once you have that stable foundation, your entire body is in better alignment - ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, spine, head - which reduces strain and enables you to stay on your feet for longer without pain. Wearing little slip on shoes makes it more likely that your stance is unstable and you're trying to hold them on rather than walking freely.

In addition to this, you need to look at your posture.

You might be pushing your head forwards and increasing the strain on your neck.

You might be overarching your lower back, rather than tucking your pelvis into the correct position (also more likely if you have weak stomach/core muscles).

You could be landing heavily on your heels when you walk, rather than landing softly on your midfoot, which sends further impact up your body.

You could be doing all these things.

Humans are meant to be capable of almost constant activity, so finding it that painful suggests that something isn't right - I have medical conditions that affect my joints and tendons, but with suitable footwear, strength building exercise and looking after my posture, even I can manage to be on my feet for extended periods of time.

LemonViolet · 07/10/2021 23:29

Good shoes. I wear walking/hiking trainers with proper arch support. And practicing yoga, so I keep myself flexible and know how to bend/stretch/twist appropriately etc as I move about all day. Also knowing safe lifting technique to protect your back if that is needed as well.

Look after your feet, see a physio about any joint or back pain, see a good podiatrist if it is specifically foot related. Sorting out my feet with proper support has done wonders for knee, hip and back issues. If I ever do get back twinges I get a good deep tissue massage as well, looking after my body is worth it!

Changechangychange · 07/10/2021 23:31

I’ve had jobs where I’ve been on my feet all day (barmaid, waitress, factory job, junior doctor) and jobs where I was sitting down all day (admin assistant, transcriptionist, consultant).

The walking around jobs suited me way better. I can’t stand to be stuck at a desk all day, I need to keep getting up and moving about.

Good shoes (Hush puppies are great), and time. Every time I started a new bar job my feet killed me for the first two or three shifts, but then your foot muscles adapt and it’s fine.

united4ever · 07/10/2021 23:33

It was brutal for me. Agree it is the standing still that is worse somehow. Think standing still encourages you too slouch more.

Great shoes help but also great socks. I found darn tough quite food socks. Still glad I gave up that job.

Kite22 · 07/10/2021 23:35

Probably much healthier than sitting on your backside all day.
As long as your shoes are comfortable, it sounds quite a positive to me. Probably tiring at first when you aren't used to it, and then just becomes the norm.
Lots of jobs involve standing or walking all day.

Dojacatpaws · 07/10/2021 23:38

Standing up ìs good for you

catscatscurrantscurrants · 07/10/2021 23:40

I did a job a few years back with shifts spent standing or walking. Get yourself really good, supportive shoes with either gel or memory foam insoles.

XenoBitch · 07/10/2021 23:43

I used to work in theatres and saw a lot of people who worked on their feet come in for varicose vein procedures. Most were nurses.

Notcontent · 07/10/2021 23:46

Just standing still is not good but moving around is definitely good for you.

starrynight21 · 08/10/2021 00:26

The shoes are the thing. My work has always involved standing/walking all day, often 10-12 hour shifts, for over 40 years . I have always bought good shoes with supports in them, and my feet, legs, back are all fine.

timeisnotaline · 08/10/2021 00:29

It sounds an extremely healthy good for you base. If you don’t wear decent shoes and watch your posture it’s not as good, but still must be better than sitting (the new smoking)

KalvinPhillipsManBun · 08/10/2021 00:33

I work 12 hours shifts as a nurse and Walt literally the whole shift!

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