this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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I need a better body for my job (beehaw.org)
submitted 1 year ago by marin@beehaw.org to c/chat@beehaw.org
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I started working in a fast food kitchen 2 weeks ago and it’s physically stressful so far. I do a lot of meal prep which includes a lot of chopping, carrying, and cleaning. Being on my feet for ~7 hours a day is slowly taking a toll on me and I really want to take preventive measures for long term problems that come with it. My right thumb is numb as I type down this post at 1am because I somehow woke up before 4:30am.

For a little background, this is my first official job where I’m being paid actual money for my work. As per usual, I can’t quit because of finances and I like my coworkers and managers so far. I just want my body to cope with it better and I’m not sure how I should go with it. I was pretty sedentary before I started working. I wear comfortable non-slip shoes with orthotics to better support my arch. I also bought a muscle rolling stick to help massage my feet and leg muscles after work. I think the compression socks I recently got isn’t doing much so I’m going to invest in some Bombas socks soon. What else can I do to prevent breaking my body doing this job?

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[–] bermuda@beehaw.org 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Stretch and do some light exercise right before you leave for work just to get the blood flowing. Take regular breaks just to stretch as well, and make sure to use as much of your breaks as possible off your feet. I've worked a few of these jobs and the worst thing you can do to yourself is ignore your breaks or even taking your breaks but not sitting down.

Make sure to get good sleep before your shifts and go to bed at a reasonable time. At the risk of accidentally sounding pro-capitalist here when I'm not trying, human bodies are actually uncommonly great at exercising and being on our feet for extended periods of time, so you should get used to it eventually. The first few weeks are definitely not going to be fun though.

[–] AnarchoYeasty@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago

To add to this, I'd recommend practicing your deep squats. Squat deep and stay there. It'll build your leg endurance and becomes a great way to rest your legs.