#20 - Knotted Physio - Why Sitting Too Much Is Wrecking Your Hips

Hello Everyone and welcome back to the Knotted Physio Blog! I hope you all are doing well and continuing to stay active and healthy. As always, I wanted to start off by saying thank you so much for all of the support and encouragement on these blog posts. It has been wonderful hearing from many of you and learning about the topics that have been helping you the most!

Today, I wanted to talk about something that has become incredibly common in today’s world. Sitting. And more specifically, how sitting too much can really start causing problems for the hips and lower body.

Now, before anyone panics, I know many of us have jobs that require sitting. Trust me, I understand. Between desk jobs, driving, computer work and even relaxing at home watching television, it is very easy for long periods of sitting to add up quickly.

But have you ever noticed how stiff your hips feel after sitting for a long time? Maybe you stand up and feel like you suddenly aged twenty years for the first few steps. Or perhaps your lower back and hips ache after a long car ride. Sound familiar?

One of the biggest reasons this happens is because the body adapts to the positions we spend the most time in. When we sit for prolonged periods, the hips stay in a bent position for hours at a time. Over time, the muscles in the front of the hips can become tight while other muscles, especially the glutes, tend to become weaker and less active.

And your glutes are incredibly important.

The glute muscles help support the hips, pelvis, knees and lower back during movement. When they become weak from prolonged sitting, other areas of the body often try to compensate. That is when people may start noticing hip pain, back pain, knee pain or stiffness when walking.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had patients come in complaining about hip or back discomfort and when we start talking, they realize they are sitting for eight, ten or even twelve hours a day between work and home life.

Now, this does not mean sitting itself is evil. The body just was not designed to stay in one position all day long. Our bodies love movement and variety.

One thing that I think surprises people is how quickly the body responds to simple movement breaks. Sometimes just standing up, stretching and walking around for a few minutes every hour can make a noticeable difference.

I actually noticed this myself during periods where I was spending more time charting and working on the computer. My hips and lower back would start feeling stiff and tight by the end of the day. Usually the best thing I could do was simply get up and move around for a few minutes. It is amazing how much better the body feels after movement.

Another really important thing is strengthening the hips and glutes. Now, this does not mean you have to become a bodybuilder. Simple exercises like bridges, squats, walking, step ups and resistance band exercises can go a long way toward improving hip strength and stability.

And let’s not forget flexibility and mobility. Tight hip flexors from prolonged sitting can pull on the pelvis and contribute to lower back discomfort too. Sometimes people think their back is the problem when the hips are actually a major contributor.

I had a patient one time who drove for work most of the day and was struggling with hip and back pain constantly. Once we started incorporating movement breaks, stretching and strengthening exercises, he noticed a significant difference within several weeks. The body really does respond well when we start giving it the movement it has been missing.

Another thing that prolonged sitting can affect is balance and posture. When muscles weaken and joints stiffen, movement patterns change over time. That can increase strain throughout the body in ways people may not even realize.

The good news is, the body is very adaptable. Small consistent changes often make a huge difference over time.

One thing I always try to remind people is this. You do not necessarily need extreme workouts to improve your health. Sometimes simply moving more throughout the day is one of the most powerful things you can do.

So if your hips have been feeling stiff, achy or tight lately, your chair may be contributing more than you realize.

Well guys, I hope this gave you a little better understanding of why sitting too much can really affect the hips and lower body and maybe encouraged you to get up and move around a little more today!

If you found this helpful, be sure to share it with that friend or coworker who sits at a desk all day long!

As always, Thanks for reading and Go enjoy the outdoors!