To all our Baristas, we thank you!

A few of us here at Barefoot Physiotherapy are big coffee connoisseurs. Whether it is a strong flat white, soy latte, piccolo or a long black with a ‘dash of cold milk’, we know exactly what we want and how we want it. We love our local barista’s who know just how to make our morning coffee, so while they are looking after our coffee cravings, it’s important to also look after your well being while standing at the coffee machine.

I saw a funny sign the other day at our local coffee shop saying; “Relationship Status: Emotionally Dependant on my Barista”. So we thought we do a little shout out to all the amazing Barista’s out there that put a bounce, a smile and a little cup of happiness in to the lives of so many of us. We thought we would send out a little love to our Baristas as we know working day-in-day-out at those coffee machines can actually be quite taxing on your body.

At a lot of the really busy coffee shops, some Baristas could be smashing out over 100 coffees per hour. This seems like a huge number, but it is most definitely a reality for the buzzing cafes around Brisbane. Being on your feet all day is tiring and can be quite a strain on your body.

Be sure you are doing your best to maintain a good posture, keeping your shoulders down and your back as relaxed as possible. Try and alternate hands where possible, especially when there is jarring movements involved such as using the grinding chamber handle, or tapping the milk jug on the table to remove excess bubbles.

Be sure to avoid looking down for long periods of time. If at all possible, try and ensure the coffee grinder is at a level where you do not have to look down too far to avoid continual strain on your neck, and when pouring your milk, try not to crouch over the coffee cup, keen a straight back and keep your shoulders down.

The more relaxed you feel while you work hard to get coffees out to your customers, the better you will feel at the end of the shift. Be sure to do some shoulder, glute and calf releases, and maybe a roll on a foam roller to stretch your back out so you can be ready for another day of serving up delicious cups of coffee.

To all the Baristas out there, our days would not have quite the same hop, skip and a jump in them, so thank you!

If you would like to read more, or book an appointment with one of our physios, click here!