Now that county fair season is here, my crew and I have been spending a great deal of time on our feet in the exposition halls. All of us were used to walking, but none of us were prepared for the incredible pain and discomfort brought on by standing all day on a hard concrete floor.
Walking and standing is part of the job for many people and at times may be downright painful. Certain injuries can develop right away, such as blisters on the toes, inflamed and or tender arches, sore muscles, and low back pain. Long term effects can include bunions, varicose veins, plantar fasciitis, and increased chances of arthritis.
To reducing standing related injuries while on the job, there’s a few simple tricks you can try. These include shifting your weight from foot to foot, standing with one foot in front of the other instead of side by side, or placing one foot on a small stool while standing. Proper fitting shoes and socks are also very important, as my employees and I discovered.
The right shoes for standing on concrete
For warehouse, fairground, and factory workers who spend the day standing on concrete floors, a quality pair of cross country shoes or cross trainers can prevent foot injuries from happening. Cross trainers have a specially designed insole that provides support to the soft tissue of the arch. The best cross trainer shoes are found at sporting good stores or shoe stores that specialize in athletic shoes. These type of shoes range in price from $70-$90 but can often be found on sale between $30-$50.
Our family has discovered that of all the popular shoe brands on the market, those made by New Balance seem to provide the best support.
Purchasing orthotics
Orthotics are inserts that one puts in a shoe to prevent heel or arch injury. While some orthotics are custom made, Spencer’s and Dr. Scholl’s offer a wide line of over-the-counter orthotics priced anywhere from $10-$25. A set of orthotics placed inside your tennis shoe can provide cushioning to the foot, support the arch, or ease heel pain brought on by walking on concrete. Most orthotics will last 3 months before they need to be replaced.
Quality socks
To provide additional cushioning, thick cotton or wool socks can prevent blisters from forming on the toes. Socks should be the proper size, free of holes and switched out halfway during a long shift to prevent moisture from building up.
Taping your foot
For those of us who are susceptible to painful arches, taping the foot provides extra support to the arch. Taping can be done with sports injury tape, first aid tape or stretchy bandages. Here’s a great resource from eHow with step-by-step instructions for taping the arch using sports injury tape. Taping my foot in this manner is what has kept me on my feet, painlessly, these past few weeks.
Standing around on concrete for an 8 or 12 hour shift can be brutal on the feet, and over time can cause long term injury. To prevent these injuries from happening in the first place, properly fitting shoes, good socks, and orthotics can help cushion your foot from the stress of walking on concrete all day long.
