clashcityrocker wrote:You need to stretch before you go out on delivery and again when you finish.
Warm up and warm down - just like you would with any other physical activity.
This is excellent advice. I would add to it a deep tissue self massage. All you need is some £10 foam roller and roll your stiffed muscles. Make stretching and rolling a daily routine at least 5 days a week and you will be a lot better. Hydration is also very important and less water in the system can contribute to slower recovery and overall tiredness feeling. You are running the risk of getting painful cramps too.
clashcityrocker wrote:You need to stretch before you go out on delivery and again when you finish.
Warm up and warm down - just like you would with any other physical activity.
I usually go to the gym for an hour after work, sounds a bit nuts but it helps. It's also good if you're feeling a bit stressed with the nonsense that goes on in the office. Stick a picture of your favourite line manager on the punch bag and you're good to go.
Everyone is different. The thing for me was to realise the job is actually the wrong kind of exercise - it just wears you out and wears you down (physically your knee, ankle and hip joints, as well as mentally). I need a proper cardio workout - proper heart-pumping max it out stuff. My body needs that and it helps mentally as well. So I do spin (cycle) classes at the gym on my days off and push it like crazy. I'm sure it keeps me sane and well. When I stopped for a while in the winter i went downhill quite quickly.
Wendy1962 wrote:Into my 2nd week , the respect of have for Posties is sky high I never realized how hard the job is ... I’m a runner so relatively fit .. But after averaging 10miles + a day I’m coming home shattered and aching...
this is exactly the essence of the problem, even as a runner i doubt you were doing 10 miles over 4/5 consecutive days.
Humans arent suited to be walking this kind of distance repeatedly, including any other tasks that involve walking that you have at home.
There does become a point where you will probably get used to it and not be AS tired, but the long term affects on joints from this day to day pounding is going to affect most posties by the end of their careers.
I don't remember having any notable aches and pains when I first started being a postie twenty or so years ago but maybe I have forgotten what it was like. I do remember a lot of stress & anxiety from the DOM telling me I was too slow. Also one day I remember nearly falling asleep at the wheel on the way home and ending up in a ditch! There were a lot more letters & flats in those days though with overweight pouches every day.
The views I express here are mine alone and do not represent the views of Royal Mail Group.
Celgar wrote:I don't remember having any notable aches and pains when I first started being a postie twenty or so years ago but maybe I have forgotten what it was like
you mean when we did 2 hr deliveries plus "second delivery" ?
it was a very different job physically back then.
Wendy1962 wrote:Into my 2nd week , the respect of have for Posties is sky high I never realized how hard the job is ... I’m a runner so relatively fit .. But after averaging 10miles + a day I’m coming home shattered and aching...
My question is ... does it get easier, or is the tiredness , aching etc permanent and won’t change ( if it doesn’t I would possibly re think my choice of career )
Into my 3rd decade as a Postie! When I started the old Posties used to say the job is getting harder... I thought it was pish easy! Now if someone was starting...
I am constantly tired and achy. It's affecting life outside of work. Will see in time if I am less tired, less achy. Time will tell....
I see why this low skilled job is paid better than most.....because it affects your life outside of work. No chance I could go and play any sports whilst in this job. No chance I could own a dog and take it for walks. Cramping up in pain whilst making sweet love to my wife.
I was a post man for two years, recently resigned and I can say it only got worse for me. I developed sore heels, hip and most recently tendonitis in my foot. I started looking for jobs as soon as I realised the pain wasn't going away to be honest.
over the the last 6 months we have had 3 girls started in our delivery office and they all packed it in within a few weeks, i can imagine from the outside and with the postman pat image it can look like a glamourous and nice job, after all, everyone likes to say good morning to the jolly old postie, but they dont realise it is a very physically demanding job, my round is 13 miles long and i have plantar fachiitus in my feet, so i do feel a lot of pain, but i just take my time, i have a cup of tea half way round, my customers are very friendly and i"ve always got time for a chat, i dont really care what time i finish, my days of rushing around to finish a few minutes early are long gone, i guess my type of postmaning is old fashioned, but i find it a lot easier when i"m not rushing around, my advice to new entrants is to work at your own pace, and dont get dishearted when the rest of the office gets back an hour before you.
I've got a recent duty with quite a few long roads with houses only on one side, I alternate between dead walking back to the van one day and moving the van along the road as I go to save the dead walk another day, I feel more tired when I am getting in and out of the van constantly rather than walking the longer distance with the dead walk.
Stretch (especially your hammies), keep hydrated, and keep the alcohol to a minimum on a school night.....it does get easier though, hang in there......
compostcorner wrote:over the the last 6 months we have had 3 girls started in our delivery office and they all packed it in within a few weeks, i can imagine from the outside and with the postman pat image it can look like a glamourous and nice job, after all, everyone likes to say good morning to the jolly old postie, but they dont realise it is a very physically demanding job, my round is 13 miles long and i have plantar fachiitus in my feet, so i do feel a lot of pain, but i just take my time, i have a cup of tea half way round, my customers are very friendly and i"ve always got time for a chat, i dont really care what time i finish, my days of rushing around to finish a few minutes early are long gone, i guess my type of postmaning is old fashioned, but i find it a lot easier when i"m not rushing around, my advice to new entrants is to work at your own pace, and dont get dishearted when the rest of the office gets back an hour before you.
I salute you sir! Your just like me,I’m getting the aches and pains now after 37years,but hey that’s life,my round takes as long as it takes,it has a start time ,a break time time and a finish time,
compostcorner wrote:over the the last 6 months we have had 3 girls started in our delivery office and they all packed it in within a few weeks, i can imagine from the outside and with the postman pat image it can look like a glamourous and nice job, after all, everyone likes to say good morning to the jolly old postie, but they dont realise it is a very physically demanding job, my round is 13 miles long and i have plantar fachiitus in my feet, so i do feel a lot of pain, but i just take my time, i have a cup of tea half way round, my customers are very friendly and i"ve always got time for a chat, i dont really care what time i finish, my days of rushing around to finish a few minutes early are long gone, i guess my type of postmaning is old fashioned, but i find it a lot easier when i"m not rushing around, my advice to new entrants is to work at your own pace, and dont get dishearted when the rest of the office gets back an hour before you.
I salute you sir! Your just like me,I’m getting the aches and pains now after 37years,but hey that’s life,my round takes as long as it takes,it has a start time ,a break time time and a finish time,
Do you and/or compostcorner book extended delivery I wonder? I'd guess not!
