3 Simple Stretches Nurses Need After a Long Day On Their Feet
No matter what shoes you wear to work, chances are you’ve got some aches and pains in your legs, hips, and lower back.
We spend long shifts on our feet, often on concrete tile floors, walking from room to room. We move and reposition patients, many of whom weigh more than we should be lifting. And because of the demands of our jobs, we often maintain unnatural body positions for extended periods of time.
Our jobs take a physical toll on our bodies.
And then there’s the mental and emotional stress…
Okay, maybe that’s a little too big to tackle right now, but we’re going to in upcoming blog posts so be on the lookout.
For now, suffice it to say that our mental and emotional stress contributes to our physical aches and pains. Often it radiates from the top of our head right down the spinal column, out across the shoulders, deep into the lower back muscles, and right down the backs of our legs to our feet.
Who wouldn’t love a foot massage right now?
But real life isn’t like TV and there are no clandestine foot massages being offered my way. Sooooo…
I’ve got 3 stretches you can do by yourself that’ll relax all your hurting, tired spots. 3 stretches that you can do the second you walk in the door without any equipment and without having to psyche yourself up to workout.
These 3 stretches are simple and relaxing. They’ll help you unwind and re-charge for the rest of your day — because whose day stops when you get home from work? (Not mine!)
No matter your fitness or stretchy level, I guarantee these stretches will make you go, “Ahhhh.”
Simple Stretch #1: Feet Up On the Wall
You’ve been on your feet all day and your dogs are barking mad. You’ve been banging on all your joints for hours so let’s take the pressure off.
Lay on your back beside a wall. If you’ve got hard floors, I recommend using a yoga mat or even a folded blanket for these stretches. If you’re on carpet, you may not need one.
Stretch your legs upwards and rest your heels against the wall. It’s okay if your knees are bent at first. Over time, you want to stretch your hamstrings out and straighten your knees.
Feel the blood circulate out of your extremities and back to your core. If you want, you can gently massage your thigh muscles. Flex and point your feet alternately a few times. Curl and uncurl your toes. Feel the tension release from the balls of your feet, along your arches, down your calves, and through your thighs.
You can hang out like this for up to 20 minutes. If your feet start to tingle and you get pins and needles, you can come out of this stretch entirely or you can go into Simple Stretch #2.
Simple Stretch #2: Knees to Chest
With your legs still up on the wall, slowly bend your legs and bring your knees to your chest. If you can, hug them to you so your tailbone lifts off the floor slightly. As you hug your knees, round your shoulders and stretch those out too.
If you want, you can rock gently back and forth to soothe your tired spine, keeping your knees close to your chest.
If you can’t hug your knees to your chest, then just let the weight of your legs stretch out your lower back. If this move feels a little uncontrolled, you can use your hands to keep your knees from drifting too far apart.
With your legs bent, flatten your spine against the floor and then your shoulder blades. Place your hands flat on the floor. Feel the stretch along your spine and in your lower back.
Ready for Simple Stretch #3? Great, return to Simple Stretch #1 position: Legs Up On the Wall.
Simple Stretch #3: Figure 4
Okay, this stretch is a little more challenging. Return to Simple Stretch #1 with your legs up on the wall. Now cross one ankle over the opposite knee in a Figure 4 position. Clasp your hands behind the knee or thigh of your straight leg (you’ll have to slip one hand between your knees to do this) and slowly draw your knee to your chest.
As you draw your knee to your chest, your straight leg may bend or fold completely. That’s okay. Over time, you can work on keeping your leg straight.
You should feel this stretch in the hip of your crossed leg. Try to keep your bent knee from collapsing inwards by pushing it back toward the wall. BUT BE CAREFUL! You want to take this stretch slowly, especially if you have prior knee problems.
Straighten your bent leg and place it back up against the wall. Repeat with the other side.
Having Trouble Visualizing?
There are any number of videos out there with these Simple Stretches, but I happen to like Dr. Melissa West’s. It’s short, sweet, and no frills. In under 5 minutes, she shows you all 3 stretches so you can do them on your own.
Check it out:
She has some other terrific stretch and yoga videos that we think you’ll love, too.
NursePower Empowers Nurses!
As private-duty nurses, we’re dedicated to helping our clients age safely and gracefully at home. And as a company, we’re dedicated to helping each other work safely and that means taking care of our bodies, our minds, and our souls.
Every week, we’ll have another blog post in our NursePower Empowers Nurses! series, offering healthy recipes, stretch and exercise tips, emotional and mental wellness strategies, and fun-filled weekend activity suggestions for your whole family.
We all know how important it is that we show up to work fully recharged. NursePower is here to help you do that.