Sitting has been linked to serious health problems, like obesity and osteoporosis. Unfortunately, the damage does not stop there. Being sedentary is also a significant contributor to nagging lower back ache.
But it is not actually your back that is the issue:
It is your hip flexors
These are a group of muscles, one of the strongest in the body, which cross three joints. They affect your breathing, and every step you take. Let me take you on a tour of this hidden muscle group so you can see how releasing tension in this muscle could liberate your health and spirit.
The iliopsoas is an interesting muscle. It is one of the most complex of the muscles of the human body, and it is the only lower back and hip muscle to attach to the front of the spine. In fact, the iliopsoas is actually two muscles in one: the psoas muscle and the iliacus muscle.
The primary function of both of these muscles is hip flexion. In other words, these muscles work to lift the knee so as to assist you in taking your next step when walking.
Due to its unique attachment along the spine, the iliopsoas also plays a major role in maintaining upright posture. Because of its position in the body, the longer you sit, the tighter this muscle gets. And the tighter the muscle gets, the harder it becomes to straighten up, when you get up from sitting.
While sitting, your hip flexors constantly remain in a flexed position. Over time, sitting too much will cause these muscles to shorten and shrink, limiting your ability to fully straighten the hip when you are finally upright again. A consequence of this is that when your hip flexors are too tight, they pull down and forward on the pelvis, which tilts it forward and compresses the lower back.
The result? Now you have back pain!
Tight hips, is a term that has gained traction in fitness circles. In yoga studios, practitioners focus on stretching their hip flexors, while runners attribute limited stride lengths and injuries to these same muscles. Meanwhile, personal trainers are fielding questions about tight hips from their clients.
Tight hip flexors are often a consequence of the sedentary lifestyles prevalent in the 21st century. These muscles are located deep within the body, making them difficult to visualize which often leads to confusion about their precise location and function.
However, it’s important to recognize the critical role of the hip flexors.They are essential for maintaining balanced alignment, ensuring proper joint rotation, and facilitating a full range of muscular motion.
Health issues that were once rare, such as rounded shoulders, forward head posture, and notably, tight hip flexors are seeing a recent increase because of our sedentary lifestyles.
The hip itself is a ball-and-socket joint, where the ball (the head of the femur) fits snugly into a socket (the acetabulum) on the pelvis. This joint is lined with cartilage and encapsulated by ligaments and a robust capsule filled with synovial fluid, which delivers nutrients needed by the joint.
Interestingly, there are no arteries within the joint or the cartilage that lines it. Therefore, the joint surfaces must derive their nutrients from the synovial fluid. For optimal nutrient absorption, this fluid must move freely within the joint, facilitated by changes in joint pressure that help force the fluid in and out.
Sitting impacts the nutrition of the hip joint in three significant ways:
Reduced Pressure and Nutrient Absorption: When the hip is flexed and internally rotated, as it typically is while sitting, the pressure inside the joint is minimized. This lower pressure makes it challenging for the cartilage to absorb nutrients from the synovial fluid. Additionally, the lack of movement means that the joint pressure remains almost constant, which further diminishes nutrient exchange.
Localized Pressure and Reduced Fluid Flow: The sitting position can also exert increased pressure on specific areas of the joint, impeding the flow of joint fluid to those regions. Since the cartilage relies entirely on this fluid for nutrients, restricted flow can cause these areas to become nutrient-deprived, making them more susceptible to damage.
Nutrient and Oxygen Deprivation Leading to Tissue Damage: When bones or tissues are deprived of essential nutrients and oxygen, the cells within them begin to die. In the hip, this can happen at the top of the thigh bone if it does not receive sufficient blood supply. As a result, the bone weakens and becomes more prone to fractures. Over time, as the bone deteriorates, the hip joint may collapse, leading to the necessity for hip replacement surgery as the only viable treatment.
The Impact of Sitting on Your Posture
As noted earlier, various muscles that traverse the front of the hip contribute to hip flexion by drawing the thigh and trunk closer. Among these, the iliopsoas plays a pivotal role. This crucial muscle group consists of two deep-seated muscles: the iliacus and the psoas, which are located deep within the back of the abdomen.
If you looked at the front of a body with the internal organs removed, you would see the psoas lying alongside the spine, attached to the sides of the lumbar vertebrae.
The iliacus originates on the inner bowl of the pelvis. Both muscles cross the floor of the pelvis, emerge at the outer edges of the pubic bones, and finally insert on the inner upper femur (thigh bone).
When we sit, the iliopsoas muscle, along with hamstrings and quadriceps are in a shortened state. With prolonged sitting position, these muscles become tighter and cause a swayback posture. When the body is out of alignment, muscle fibres lose the ability to contract and cause tension (strength).
As shown in the image below, your hips are essentially rolled forward, causing an excessive arch in your lower back and a bulging belly.
Your chest also appears sunken, which kills your upper body aesthetics. Long story short, your pelvic inclination angle is the single most important factor in
determining posture and this can be negatively altered by sitting. Common symptoms can include lower back and/or neck pain, limited movement, a protruding stomach, and buttocks which are pushed outwards.
Overview of Hip Flexor Muscles
The hip flexor group consists of several individual muscles along with some larger muscle groups that contribute to hip flexion. These include:
Iliopsoas: Often referred to as the muscles of the inner hip, this group includes the psoas major, psoas minor, and the iliacus muscle.
Thigh Muscles: Key players here are the rectus femoris and sartorius.
Gluteal Muscle: The tensor fasciae latae, which is part of the gluteal muscle group.
Inner Thigh Muscles: This group comprises the adductor longus and brevis, along with the pectineus and gracilis muscles.
Functions of the Hip Flexor
Found deep in the abdominal cavity, they are some of the strongest muscles in the body. The psoas is the only muscle in the human body connecting the upper body to the lower body often called the “mighty” psoas (pronounced so-az) for the many important functions it plays in the movement of your body.
Your hips are the bridge between your upper body and lower body and are at the center of your body’s movement. Every time you take a step, you are using your hip flexor muscles. If you are standing, the hip flexors lift your leg when you step up on a stool. If you are lying flat on your back, the hip flexors can either lift your leg or lift your torso into a sit-up.
The Impact of Prolonged Sitting on Hip Flexors
Extended periods of sitting can lead to the shortening and tightening of the hip flexor muscles. Muscles that are shortened do not generate as much power as those that are fully lengthened. Consequently, when you try to engage these muscles, they may not function properly or as effectively.
The psoas muscle, a key component of the hip flexors, attaches to the lower spine’s vertebrae, runs through the pelvis, and connects to a tendon at the top of the femur. It also links to the diaphragm, influencing your breathing, and supports all the major organs positioned above it.
A well-functioning psoas muscle is crucial for maintaining neutral pelvic alignment, stabilizing the hips, supporting the lower spine and abdomen, and underpinning the organs in the pelvic and abdominal cavities. It enhances mobility and core strength, contributing to:
Sustained peak performance,
Efficient reduction of stubborn body fat,
Enhanced strength and training capabilities,
Optimal sexual health,
Renewed energy and vitality.
This muscle group is central to your body’s physical activity. Therefore, if the psoas becomes imbalanced or tightens, it can have widespread negative effects throughout the body.
Athletes who engage in activities that stress the hip flexors, like sprinting or kicking, such as runners, soccer players, and martial artists, are particularly susceptible to hip flexor injuries. These injuries typically manifest as pain in the upper groin area, where the thigh meets the pelvis.
Additionally, sitting for long stretches, especially with poor posture, can lead to hyperlordosis, also known as swayback or saddleback. This condition is characterized by an exaggerated inward curve of the spine in the lower back, further complicating the health of the hip flexors.
This condition is more common than you might think in those with jobs that require a lot of sitting like computer programmers, office workers, and anyone who finds themselves at a desk for hours each day.
The most common symptom of lordosis is muscle pain. When your spine curves abnormally, your muscles get pulled in different directions, causing them to tighten or spasm. If you have cervical lordosis, this pain may extend to your neck, shoulders, and upper back. You may also experience limited movement in your neck or lower back.
It is imperative that if you work seated that you in fact train your body to do this with a proper exercise program that can help offset some of the negative aspects of sitting.
As the human body is 50 percent muscle tissue the more this can be worked with proper strengthening exercise the better as it will keep the metabolism (the body’s engine) and posture in better overall health.
It is a staggering fact that on average people spend 70 percent of their waking hours sitting. This can have short- and long-term effects on the health of the body, making this seemingly benign activity potentially deadly. Don’t be one of them.
Each positive action taken, no matter how modest, reinforces a more resilient, fulfilling lifestyle. It’s a good thing!
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