The holiday season is just around the corner, and you may find yourself once again pounding the pavement running from one store to another or standing in a line waiting to make payment for your favorite products. All of this waiting and standing in long lines can take a toll on your feet or back causing pain and stiffness. There are ways that will help you withstand the stress of standing for hours on your feet in shopping lines. These include:

Choose the right shoes

It’s advisable to plan ahead about the shoes you are going to wear on the day you choose to “shop till you drop”. The shoes should be a right fit but also flexible as your feet are expected to be swollen in the evening. Try to choose shoes with round tip as pointed tip shoes are narrow and produce pain and swelling in foot digits. Also, your shoes should have adequate arch support; for additional support you can also buy the orthotic foot supports that you can insert inside your shoe.
 

Keep weight of your bags in control

You can feel strain in your neck and back by carrying heavy shopping bags and standing in long lines for checking out. To prevent putting too much pressure on your back, try carrying a few smaller bags instead of one large heavy bag. It will help to distribute weight evenly throughout your body.
 

Keep yourself active and on the move

When you are standing in line, it’s important that instead of standing stationary at a single spot for hours move around to improve blood circulation in your legs, and also try shifting your weight from one foot to another. More importantly you should have an active life style, and incorporate a before and after shopping stretch exercises in your routine.
 

Foot Massage

After finishing with your shopping list, first thing you must do upon reaching home is to kick off your shoes and wear comfortable slippers. For pain relief and decreasing swelling, soak your feet in warm water if your feet are cold or cold water/ice if your feet are hot. For further relaxation of muscles in your feet, you can take a foot massage using essential oils such as Lavender Oil.
 

Despite using these tips, if you feel continuous pain or strain in your feet, legs or back due to holiday season, it’s important that you take help from a health care professional.