Being on your feet all day has its pros and cons.
Muscles get a workout, joints and tendons stay limber through use, and, of course, there's the calorie burn. But it also can lead to sore legs, wear and tear on the back's discs, and poor posture from hunching forward when fatigued.
Even those folks achieving their 10,000 steps a day -- doctors, nurses, waitresses, construction workers, hairstylists -- still need maintenance. Repeating movement patterns every day (carrying trays, cutting hair) means that underutilized muscle groups grow weak.
And don't think all that movement means you don't have to get your heart rate up. The body gets used to the same movements and amount of activity, expending less and less energy to get the job done. Doing more, and different, cardiovascular exercise can push the metabolism while strengthening the heart -- and preventing weight creep.
Working out has another benefit too: "Generally stress is a part of people's job duties," says trainer Laura Christy of Meridian's Bodies in Motion, "so doing cardio helps their heart and stress levels as well."
We asked three trainers what they would recommend for those continually on the go.
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Robert Reames
Personal trainer, member Gold's Gym Fitness Institute
Leg strength and endurance play a huge part for people who are on their feet all day.
* For leg strength, squats and lunges are good, but I've had great success with clients on the leg press (a machine in which weight is lifted with the legs while seated or lying down). On the leg press, you're loading just your legs, so you can do it without as much strain on the back as you would if you were doing squats or lunges with weights.
If you're a beginner, get on the machine and get used to doing the motion with no weights. Make sure you can do it for two to four sets of 10 to 12 reps. Eventually you want to add weight that's a comfortable resistance, and challenging, but doesn't take you out of your form and cause you pain.
Also, make sure your feet are firmly planted [on the foot plate], with an emphasis on putting the weight on your heels. When bending your knees, don't go past 90 degrees or you'll over-stretch your knees. Make sure the movement is controlled, and do two to three seconds on the up-and-down phase. If you have to go really fast to push the weight, then you're doing too much.
