Following up on the ankle swelling thing – found something that actually changes the pattern instead of just explaining it!
For the last 2 weeks I sat down for 2 minutes at the 3-hour mark and again at the 6-hour mark of a 9-hour shift. Not elevating, just both feet flat on the floor in the break room chair.
What I checked:
– shoe tightness by end of shift (used to loosen the laces around hour 7, now closer to hour 8)
– ankle definition in the mirror before bed
– whether I still needed legs-up-on-the-couch right when I got home
Out of 10 shifts, 7 were noticeably better. The 3 that did not improve were also the days I drank less water, so that is probably stacking on top rather than canceling it out.
Nothing else changed – same shoes, same 9 hours on my feet. Just those two sitting minutes.