Healthy Eating 101 EatingWell in Real Life Obsessed This Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mat Has Helped Reduce My Stress and Back Pain I know that’s bold praise for a kitchen mat, but just trust me on this one. By Jaime Milan Jaime Milan Instagram Jaime Milan completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and English literature at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. After graduation, Jaime worked in local news and as a marketing manager for a national coffee and tea company. She also freelanced for several major publications before joining Cooking Light in 2017 as an associate editor. From 2019 until 2022, she was digital editor for EatingWell, where she found her passion for creating news and lifestyle content. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 13, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Photo: Williams Sonoma My dog has been really sick with chronic pancreatitis and requires a homemade diet right now. So I've been boiling chicken and rice, cooking lean ground turkey and scrambling eggs for him every day per our vet's instructions. Obviously I want my dog to get better, so I'm willing to cook an extra meal or two each day, but all of that standing and cooking (in addition to the cooking I do for my human family) has taken a toll on my back and feet. I should note that even though I'm only 29, I am not exactly spry. I played competitive golf for nearly two decades, so all of that walking, carrying a bag and swinging for hours every day left me with chronic tightness in my back. Add cooking multiple different meals a day into the mix, and you can see why I wanted to find a solution to ease some of that pain and stress. I decided to try out an anti-fatigue kitchen mat to see if it would help. Spoiler: It did. I got a WellnessMat from Williams Sonoma and, in the week or so I've used it, it's been an absolute game-changer. The mat is incredibly cushy, but is firm enough to reduce shock absorption, help physical stress, and support my posture. And from a practical standpoint, I love that it's antimicrobial, so it just wipes clean when I spill food on it. Most importantly, it's helped my back pain and tightness in my feet from standing in the kitchen barefoot. WellnessMats® Buy Now Williams Sonoma I also love that it comes in two sizes (3'x2' and 6'x2') and four colors (black, brown, tan and gray) to match your kitchen decor. I opted for the smaller size in black, and it's been great so far. While these mats are a little pricey (they run between $139-$279 when they're full priced), they're on sale right now. The smaller mat is currently $28 off and the larger one is $56 off. I know it seems like a silly luxury, but these anti-fatigue mats have been life-changing. I didn't realize how much standing on a hard tile floor was affecting my back pain and stress levels until I brought this mat into my kitchen. Now I can meal prep, make homemade dog food and more without thinking twice about it. And to me, that's worth every penny. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit