Why do my hips hurt?
by Megan
Have a desk job? Drive a lot? Sit a lot and feel stiff?
If you work at a desk or drive all day, your body gets used to sitting. It adapts to a seated shape by shortening and tightening muscles. Lack of muscle use can also lead to weakness in the muscle and reduced range of motion. These postural patterns can cause muscle soreness, fatigue, and general postural discomfort. Once body aches and pain set in we often find ourselves even more reluctant to move!
When we are sitting, it’s common for the muscles that do hip flexion to shorten. These include psoas, rectus femoris, sartorius, and Tensor Fascia Latea (TFL). These muscles, generally speaking, are responsible for bringing the leg into flexion (lifting towards the body).
Meanwhile, the glute medius and minimus, found at the sides of the pelvis, help stabilize the pelvis. With extended sitting, these muscles can become weak and their inability to stabilize can create postural strain in other muscles of the low back and pelvis.
The hamstrings (muscles on the back of the thigh), can also adaptively shorten from sitting too often. This is because the knee is often bent when seated, creating a shortening at the insertion points of the muscle.
If the pelvis is tilted posteriorly (backwards - i.e., bringing the lower ribs and pubic bone closer together) the upper hamstring attachments also contract and shorten. If the pelvis is tilted anteriorly (forward - i.e., bringing space between the lower ribs and the pubic bone with the tailbone reaching back) this will create an overlengthening of the upper attachments of the hamstring.
Movement practices for hips
Here are some lower body practices to get the hips moving and keep postural strain at bay. These videos help to promote range of motion and muscle function in the pelvis and hip.
You can do these at home - beginners and advanced movers alike will benefit!
Short hip opening
A yoga flow to integrate movement, breath and stretching focused on hip flexors and hamstrings.
Opens the front of the hips, the inner thighs, the backs of the legs, and some low back release
combines a few standing postures as well as lunging and floor work posture
Props required: mat and space to move
Short lower body release
A yoga flow practice to stretch the hamstrings, calves, and inner thighs.
combines stretching and strength to help release and build stability through the legs
helps to restore balance in adaptively short and weak muscles in the lower body
begins with floor work and includes a few minutes of kneeling
If you have sensitive knees you can always take a fold through your yoga mat or lay down a folded towel for extra cushion
ends with a few standing movements
Yin hip practice
This is a longer and slower practice to help settle the body and release the hips.
explores external and internal rotation of the hips, as well as flexion (rounding forward) and extension (bending backwards) of the spine
Some poses release the psoas, a deep hip flexor and stretch the hamstrings and feet
Includes some rotation to release the mid back - an area that’s often compressed with prolonged sitting
Props required: a pillow (or two) for support. If you have a bolster you can use it instead.
Want more resources?
Watch: movement practices playlist
Watch: Desk worker playlist
We also have an online, self-paced 4 part in-depth digital workshop for office workers with over 4 hours of exercises and educational content to help with postural strain.
