The Science of Anti-Fatigue Matting

How an anti fatigue mat works is well described in an article that was published in the April 1999 issue of “Occupational Health & Safety”, written by James M. Kendrick: 

“Anti-fatigue mats are engineered to make the body naturally and imperceptibly sway, which encourages subtle movement by calf and leg muscles. This promotes blood flow and keeps it from stagnating in the veins, which causes workers to feel fatigued.”

Standing on hard surfaces for long periods can lead to several problems. First, standing causes muscles to constrict, which reduces the blood flow. This makes muscles and joints hurt, and it causes blood to stagnate.  In addition, long-term standing causes probation, or excessive flattening of the foot. While this can be simply tiring and a bit painful, it can also lead to plantar fasciitis and other serious foot conditions. Lower back pain is highest in workers who stand 4 hours or more per day.

As noted by Mr. Kendrick, the cushioning effect of anti-fatigue matting allows continuous micro-movements of the feet, which minimizes blood pooling in the legs.  Too much cushioning can have a negative effect. Too great an amount of softness or “give” will actually cause excessive fatigue because it overworks the muscles. Think of it like jogging on the beach as an extreme example of this concept.

Standing at Work

In numerous commercial ventures, representatives are required to work while standing, strolling and/or conveying loads. Lower limit distress and weariness from constrained long haul standing and strolling is an issue regularly distinguished, however occasional recorded. Early concentrates, for example, Morgora (1972) demonstrated that the frequency of low back torment was most noteworthy in those specialists who stood consistently every working day for times of over four hours and Bousseman et al. (1982) conveyed to light that long haul standing is an immediate reason for agony and uneasiness. 

Consequent examination conveyed by Dr. Mark Redfern and Dr. Wear Chaffin at the Center for Ergonomics, University of Michigan in 1988, and Paula Hinnen and Stephan Konz at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Kansas State University, 1994, had perceptions of the effect between remaining on hard floors versus remaining on delicate floors. Both their studies reasoned that mats altogether influence weakness and solace in various body areas.

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How an anti-fatigue mat works is well described in an article that was published in the April 1999 issue of “Occupational Health & Safety”, written by James M. Kendrick: 

“Anti-fatigue mats are engineered to make the body naturally and imperceptibly sway, which encourages subtle movement by calf and leg muscles. This promotes blood flow and keeps it from stagnating in the veins, which causes workers to feel fatigued.”

Standing on hard surfaces for long periods can lead to several problems. First, standing causes muscles to constrict, which reduces the blood flow. This makes muscles and joints hurt, and it causes blood to stagnate.  In addition, long-term standing causes pronation, or excessive flattening of the foot. While this can be simply tiring and a bit painful, it can also lead to plantar fasciitis and other serious foot conditions. Lower back pain is highest in workers who stand 4 hours or more per day.

As noted by Mr. Kendrick, the cushioning effect of anti-fatigue matting allows continuous micro-movements of the feet, which minimizes blood pooling in the legs.  Too much cushioning can have a negative effect. Too great an amount of softness or “give” will actually cause excessive fatigue because it overworks the muscles. Think of it like jogging on the beach as an extreme example of this concept.