The average retail employee and factory worker spends over 35 hours a week standing on his or her feet.
This time could be predominantly spent standing at a workstation, walking from workstation to workstation, and or-more likely a combination of both.
Unfortunately, many business premises and factory floors consist of nothing more than a concrete slab, with a covering of carpet.
Standing for long periods of time on a any hard surface particularly if it is cold without the benefit of an anti-fatigue mat is not only uncomfortable, but also causes physical fatigue as blood passages constrict and leg muscles become static as they work to support the person's weight over the course of a long day.
To compensate for the restricted blood passages, the heart works harder to pump blood as the body begins to run out of energy, resulting in pain and discomfort.
Warehouse of Mats supply a wide range of anti-fatigue mats throughout Australia. The anti-fatigue mats work by encouraging imperceptible swaying motions, contractions, and relaxations of the leg and calf muscles in response to the flexibility of the mat.
This, in turn, keeps the blood from pooling in the veins and promotes a less restricted flow of blood back to the heart, thereby reducing fatigue.
Old generation anti-fatigue technology is based on the erroneous assumption: If standing on a hard surface is bad, then standing on a soft surface is good.
Obviously, this approach is not correct and would result in more fatigue and possible injury. Most so-called anti-fatigue mats, with a design based on this old assumption, are made of foam to create a soft surface.
The reality is, when foam compresses, it gets harder, not softer. An overly soft surface can cause more fatigue because it requires more effort to maintain a balanced position. (E.g. walking on sand or standing on a mattress).
