It is a well known fact that too much sitting is bad for our general health and wellbeing.
Unfortunately, for many, it is an inevitable reality that we spend at least 8-9 hours a day sitting at a desk for work or for study.
If we then take into account the time spent travelling to and from work, sitting for meals and watching television or relaxing, the time we spend sitting can easily be upwards of 13 hours a day or 65 hours during a working week!
Spending prolonged periods of time in a seated position causes the hip flexor muscles to become tight and inflexible.
Having tight hip flexors is a common factor attributing too many other issues such as; lower back pain, bad pelvic alignment and knee problems. Often, it isn’t until we start to experience pain in other areas of the body that we realise we have a problem which if it had been assessed earlier could have been easily fixed and maintained.
Below we have listed 4 helpful tips that you could implement into your routine to help release tight hip flexors;
✅ Set a timer and remember to stand up from your desk ever hour and walk around the office.
✅ Attend a Pilates or yoga class twice a week; stretching is the best way to release tight muscles.
✅ Ask your physiotherapist to recommend some light exercises for you to do at your desk. Stick them next to your computer or on your wall as a constant reminder.
✅ Purchase a foam roller or spiky ball and rather than sitting on the couch to watch television use that time to stretch.
If you have a seated job, it may be a good idea to discuss with your manager the possibility of implementing a program to improve the ergonomics of your workplace setup. These adjustments could be sit to stand desk, stretching breaks or hot desks where you could move around.
