| Anti-fatigue mats bring about a great number of benefits, both physiologically and industrially. By relieving tension in various joints and muscles in the legs, anti-fatigue mats have numerous, positive long-term impacts on health.
The American and Canadian Occupational and Safety Health Administrations promote the use of anti-fatigue mats, as these mats prevent and alleviate the pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), which account for a vast number of lawsuits against workplaces in the United States and Canada.
Keep in mind that the solution to standing for prolonged periods is not prolonged periods of sitting. Anti-fatigue mats help workers reap the benefits of standing, while mitigating ill effects. A study from emaxhealth.com demonstrates that standing while you work improves concentration by increasing blood flow throughout the body, particular to the brain. Long durations spent seated promote the development of many health conditions, including type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Back strain and blood clots are also caused by hours and hours of sitting due to circulation cutoff brought about by physical inactivity.
Simply standing for long periods of time induces weight loss, and due to increased weight placed on the skeletal structure, bone strength is greatly increased. Standing for two hours out of every workday can potentially lead to the loss of 280 calories — that’s a possible 20 pounds lost in one year, just by standing up!
While standing up for long durations has its benefits, without a little bit of assistance from an anti-fatigue mat, there are also negative side effects. Strain can develop in the leg muscles and joints leading to discomfort. In its Guidelines for Retail Grocery Stores, OSHA recommends anti-fatigue mats for areas where employees stand for long durations, citing that they minimize leg fatigue, back strain, and provide a significant increase in comfort.
Anti-fatigue mats help to relieve stress on the leg muscles because they stimulate the calf muscle “pump” function, according to PubMed Health. This helps to avoid the development of musculoskeletal disorders, which not only cause joint pain and a general feeling of discomfort, but also decrease productivity and increased absenteeism, according to the technical bulletin from 3M. The bulletin goes on to laud the workings of anti-fatigue mats, noting how they can significantly reduce the development of MSDs in the workplace. |
Mats may seem unassuming, but they have benefits as far up as your brain; by promoting blood-flow all over the body, they can improve concentration. |
