Considering that the average person walks the equivalent of five times around the earth in their lifetime, our feet are required to bear a lot of strain. Prolonged standing, walking, high heels, ill-fitting shoes, and slippery surfaces are just some of the things we are exposing our feet to without thinking about the attention and care our feet need.

When your job requires you to be on your feet all day, whether standing in one place or walking around, it puts a lot of pressure on your feet. According to the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, each step you take can exert up to two times your weight in ground reaction force through your lower limb.

When you aren’t able to rest, or are prevented from moving around, joints from the neck to the feet can become “stuck” temporarily. This is what we feel as stiffness, from being in one position for too long.  When this happens on a regular basis it results in muscles getting tired and the tendons and ligaments becoming damaged and potentially causing soft tissue injuries.

When you are standing in one place for a prolonged period of time, blood flow to the muscles is reduced. This stops the regular muscle movements that bring the blood, from the legs and feet, back to the heart. When blood and other fluids aren’t moving properly, veins get inflamed causing swelling of the feet, ankles and legs which then leads to pain.

Because our feet are the base of our body, not taking care of them properly can lead to injuries. These injuries can occur not just in our feet, but also throughout our body.