Tips To Prevent Feet Swelling While Working At Your Desk

Tips To Prevent Feet Swelling While Working At Your Desk

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A common complaint of all workaholics having a sitting desk job is feet swelling while sitting and ankles. Sitting at a desk for prolonged periods in front of computer screens isn’t only detrimental for the eyes; rather, it impacts the lower body to a large extent as well. Not to mention the discomforts like tightness, tingling, numbness, and heaviness that it brings with it.

While a pair of compression socks 15-20mmHg, would aid your legs in beating gravity to push back blood to the heart, there are some measures and tips you can follow on how to prevent feet from swelling and ankles while doing a sitting job. Read on as we uncover some of those effective measures while knowing more about why your feet swell while sitting and the associated risks with it.

What Exactly Causes Feet Swelling While Sitting?

Office workers often mention, “I notice feet swelling when I sit at my desk for too long,” and gravity plays a major role in causing this. Due to gravity, natural blood flow gets interrupted, resulting in the legs working hard to push back blood to the heart.

Moreover, fluid starts accumulating, resulting in fluid build-up in the ankles and feet, leading to edema and discomforts like numbness, itching, pain, and difficulty walking. Additionally, studies reveal that even a one-minute sit-to-stand break can considerably decrease edema when extended periods of sitting are interrupted.

Pro-tip: While working, set a timer on your phone or computer that helps you to get up every 20–30 minutes. Even a quick stretch or walk to refill your water helps keep blood moving and prevent that heavy feeling in your legs.

Risks Associated With Swollen Feet

Although swollen feet from sitting at desk only cause minor discomforts like those mentioned above, they can take a serious turn if left untreated for a long while. Instances include blood pooling in the lower extremities that leads to serious threats like venous insufficiency, blood clots, increased risk of infection, and skin ulcers. In circumstances like these, a healthcare expert might recommend using a pair of 20-30 mmHg compression socks. Even studies confirm that wearing compression socks is highly effective in reducing occupational leg edema.

Ways To Prevent Feet Swelling While Working At A Sitting Job

First things first. Start with getting a medical check-up to ensure your foot swelling from sitting isn’t a result of any underlying health ailment but is caused due to prolonged sitting itself.

After getting favorable results, you can proceed with the following tips on how to prevent feet swelling while sitting at desk to ensure you stay safe from the ailment of swollen feet.

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  1. Using Compression Socks

    Compression socks, also known as medical socks, are a kind of medical garment made to provide gentle pressure to the legs that helps restore the slowed bloodstream flow to its normal state. Being tighter at the ankles and a bit loose around the knees, they carry a distinctive design than normal socks. Based on this unique proposition, they help blood reach back to the heart more effectively, resulting in reduced chances of feet swelling while sitting at a desk and fluid build-up in the legs. If not during work, you can wear them after office hours.

  2. Taking Breaks

    No matter how demanding your job is, it’s recommended for everyone to take small breaks at regular intervals of time. During this meantime, focus on doing mobility-inducing movements that help restore optimal blood flow throughout your legs while relaxing them. You can simply stroll around a block during the lunch break or have some moments in the break room. For those having a sturdy work regime, go for setting up break reminders and opting for the Pomodoro technique, involving working for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. This is one of the best strategies on how to prevent feet swelling while sitting at desk.

  3. Staying Hydrated

    The human body is made up of around 60% water only. This fact alone outlines the crucialness of fulfilling your body’s daily water requirement. Although it might sound odd, water shortage in the body worsens the issue of fluid retention, increasing the chances of feet swelling while sitting and edema in the legs. Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated is a simple yet effective way that helps the blood to flow more optimally throughout the body.

  4. Following A Healthy Diet And Lifestyle

    You need to inculcate healthy eating habits and follow an active lifestyle if you want to stay safe from swollen feet after sitting at desk issues. Obese people are more at risk of facing chances of swelling due to the increased weight and strain on their feet. Try decreasing yoursodium intake and cut down too much fast food to ensure you remain safe from fluid retention in the body.

  5. Opting For The Right Footwear

    At every cost, avoid wearing tight and uncomfortable footwear to work. Doing so puts a lot of pressure on ankles and feet, due to which issues like feet swelling while sitting at desk and inflammation arise. You have to choose something in which you can feel comfortable throughout the day. Prefer options that have extra space and support that provide your feet the room they need to remain comfortable throughout the day.

  6. Doing Feet And Ankle Exercises

    By promoting healthy circulation in your lower limbs, you can effectively avoid feet swell when sitting at desk. For it, you need to incorporate deskercise (exercises that can be done at a desk) in your work routine that would help you combat the negative effects of sitting for extended periods. Possibilities for it include calf raises, chair squats, neck rotations, wall sits, and more.

  7. Using A Standing Desk

    Standing desks aren’t only good for improving your mood and productivity; rather, they are great for avoiding foot swelling issues as well. Choose a height that you find comfortable working at and continue your shift working with it for a couple of hours. It’s crucial to note that you need not work all day on the standing desk only and need to opt for it for selected hours only.

  8. Opting For Under Desk Footrest

    It’s great for those who aren’t comfortable with a standing desk. By opting for an under-desk footrest, you can effectively induce blood circulation while sitting only. Choose a footrest that comes with height adjustability, allowing you to vary your foot position during your shift.

  9. Leg Massage

    Massaging is one key method for enhancing blood flow in the body. While it might be quite challenging for you to remain active during working hours, you can simply do a self-leg massage at home. Massaging is great for muscle relaxation and providing relief from a day full of stress.

  10. Sitting With Flat Feet

    Laying your feet flat is a key aspect of following good ergonomics when sitting. Adjust your chair height to a level from where you can keep your feet flat on the ground. While it’s great to follow this measure as a part of keeping feet swell while sitting at desk away, you need to opt for doing regular body movements as well.

Choose SNUG360: Trusted Solution for Swollen Feet Relief

Although feet swelling when sitting at desk is normal, you necessarily need not accept it as your fate. By understanding and inculcating the above-given tips in your daily routine, you can surely reduce your chances of facing the uneasiness linked to swollen feet from sitting at desk.

For those needing compression socks, whether it’s for normal wear or recovery, they can go with our brand, SNUG360. Available in multiple sizes, our exclusive range of unisex compression wear is fabricated with a 400-needle count and high-grade compression fabric, depicting the level of craftsmanship involved in its fabrication.