Sitting for a long period of time places excessive pressure upon your lower spine and causes your hip joints to stiffen from lack of movement. Your hip flexors, which are a group of muscles in your hip that flexes and extends your hip joints, shorten from the sitting position. Stretching your hip flexors and surrounding muscles can prevent low back pain and stiff hips.
Low Back Pain
Sitting with proper posture, where your spine retains its natural curves, puts about 125 to 150 percent of your upper body weight on top of your lumbar spine, according to kinesiologist Susan Hall, author of "Basic Biomechanics." Sitting with poor posture, such as hunching your shoulders and back, can place as much as 200 percent of your upper body weight upon your lumbar spine. This can cause disc hernia, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and other back and muscle disorders. Since some of the hip flexors originate from your lumbar spine, tight hip flexors pulls the spine toward the front of your body. This causes stress and irritation upon the spine and weakens your buttocks, leading to poor hip extension when you move, such as walking, running or climbing stairs.
Standing Hip Flexor Stretch
This exercise stretches your hip flexors and surrounding connective tissues -- or fasciae -- to reduce neural stimulation and promote relaxation. Stand with your left foot in front of you and with both feet pointing forward. Raise your right arm over your head, and shift your weight forward. Tighten your right buttock, and you should feel a stretch from your right armpit down to your upper right thigh. Hold the stretch for three deep breaths. Then lean your torso to your left without moving your lower body. Put your left hand on your left thigh for balance. Hold this stretch for three deep breaths. Stand straight up, switch leg position, and repeat the stretch on the other side.
Active Hip Flexors Stretch
Instead of holding a stretch in one position for a duration of time, you can perform active stretching by contracting and stretching the hip flexors repetitively. This also improves tissue elasticity and stability in your abdominals and spine, explains physical therapist Chris Frederick, co-author of "Stretch to Win." Stand with your feet together, and step back with your right leg so that your toes and the ball of your foot contact the ground. Tighten your right buttock, and lean your body forward slightly at your waist. Extend your arms to your left for balance. Hold this position for one or two seconds, step your right foot to your right, and step back with your left foot. Extend your arms to your right for balance. Perform this exercise for three sets of 20 to 30 repetitions.
Self-Myofascial Release
You can use self-myofascial release, or SMR, to reduce sensitivity and trigger points that cause stiffness and pain in your muscles and joints. Use a foam roller to roll on top of your thighs and the front part of hip. To do this, put the roller on the ground, and lie on the ground on your stomach with the top of your left thigh on top of the roller. Roll slowly up and down from the top of your thigh and lower pelvis to your thigh above your knee. When you find a tender spot, slightly apply more pressure on top of the muscle and rub it up and down until the pain goes away. Breathe deeply as you roll to release the tissue adhesion.
References
- "Basic Biomechanics"; Susan Hall; 2002
- "Stretch to Win"; Ann and Chris Frederick; 2006
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
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