Many occupations will require you to stand all day. Whether you work in a restaurant, lecture in a learning institution or even cut hair in a salon, you have to be on your feet for many hours!

While many people will get used to it, standing for many hours can take a toll on your feet. And what makes the problem worse is that you might not notice that you have overused your feet until you feel the foot pain when you get home or when you develop plantar fasciitis and other foot problems.

Luckily, there are many ways to relieve foot pain, and they include the following six…

#1 Wear Proper Footwear

If your occupation or work requires you to stand for many hours, it is essential to make sure that you invest in proper work boots. There are some particular shoe types with a specific design for individuals that stand for long, and they come in many styles to ensure that you get something that suits you. These shoes will offer adequate arch support and cushion, and they also have a rubber sole to absorb the shock that comes from continuous standing.

#2 Alternate Standing with Sitting

It is hard to find any workplace where there are no frequent breaks. You can make use of these breaks to relieve foot pain by alternating standing with sitting. Even when you do not have a lot of timeouts, it is vital to make sure that you sit for a few minutes after every couple of hours. Also, try to keep your feet elevated when sitting to encourage blood to flow back to the rest of your body.

#3 Do Some Stretches

You do not need a lot of time or space to do some stretches when at work. And so you should do them several times a day to relieve foot pain. Stretches help to ease tension on the muscles and relax your feet which are useful ways of dealing with the pain.

One of the easiest and quickest ones that you can do is the runner’s stretch. For this simple exercise, you should stand to face a wall and place your hands on it. Next, extend one leg behind the body and push the heel towards the floor as far as it will go. Hold this posture for a few seconds until you feel the stretch before switching to the other foot. Repeat the process about three times for each leg and do it at least twice a day.

#4 Ice Your Feet

Once you get home, it is when you are likely to notice just how painful your feet are from standing all day. The first instinct is always to take off the shoes, but this is never enough to relieve the pain. For a quick and simple solution, you should grab an ice pack. Icing your feet helps to numb pain and reduce inflammation which is just what you need after a tiring day. And so if your work entails standing a lot you should always have an ice pack ready for use when you get home.

#5 Soak the Painful Feel

The ice pack will give you some instant relief, but it might only be temporary. Soaking the feet is a more permanent solution that will help you sleep well and pain-free. And for this, one of the best options is an Epsom salt soak. Epsom salt contains magnesium which the feet will absorb through the skin. It relaxes the feet, reduces inflammation and most importantly also eases the pain. For the best results, you should add the salt to some water and soak the feet for at least 15 minutes. Also, make sure that you apply some moisturizer afterward because the salt will dry your feet.

#6 Try Foot Massage

Massage helps to stretch tight muscles and relax your feet both of which can be very helpful in relieving foot pain. You can roll the painful feet over a baseball or tennis ball from heel to toe or even use a frozen water bottle to benefit from the numbing effect of the cold. Also, those that have a foot massager can use it as it is more relaxing than most other methods. Gently pressing your feet (with your fingers) on the painful areas with some massage or essential oils can also offer some relief.

Conclusion…

Standing all day will mean that you will be overusing your feet. But since you need the job you should find ways of relieving the pain. Start by wearing proper work boots or orthotics. Also soaking the feet, massaging and icing them will be very helpful once you get home. But, it might still be necessary to go for some checkup. And this is because in some instances the foot pain may be a result of heel spurs, plantar fasciitis and other foot problems that may require some medical attention.