Taking care of your body as a barista

Whether it’s a flat white, double espresso or caramel soy latte, we all love a good coffee. But what about the people who make your perfect brew? Busy baristas are often making multiple coffees a minute and the load on their body can contribute to unwanted pain and injury. So I’ve put together my tips for taking care of your barista body!

Set-up

In a typical office workspace, we are able to change the height of the desk, computer, chair and so on to really fit the individual. Commercial cafes don’t usually allow for this kind of custom set-up as there are less changeable features (and are often multiple people using the machine). So, the next best option is to be aware of your own body’s set-up. Two important things to remember:

  • Posture – a lot of time is spent looking down when you are brewing up a storm. Make an effort to keep your chin tucked in, rather than allowing your head to hang down. This will help to minimise the load on your neck joints. Also keep your shoulders relaxed and avoid hunching over the bench
  • Stand in close – much like having the keyboard and mouse in close, being in close for coffee tamping and milk frothing will lessen the load on your arms. It will also make it easier to have good shoulder posture

Self-care

Even with the best possible set-up, a big day of coffee making may leave you a little stiff and sore. The infraspinatus is one of our most commonly prescribed pieces of homework because it gets used a lot! It is one of the rotator cuff muscles and is located at the back of your shoulder blade. Releasing it regularly can help minimise the build of strain in your upper body.

Using a trigger ball, lean up against the wall and find a tender spot in your infraspinatus.  Keep the pressure sustained for 60-90 seconds for 3-4 spots

If you experience pain or have any questions about how you could better look after your barista body to prevent injuries, then have a chat with a musculoskeletal physio or come and see one of our team!