Have you ever come home from a long day at the office, working away at your computer for hours on end, and end up with a sore or stiff back? It happens to a lot of people. You get so focused on a task (from working, or catching up on your favourite shows) that you forget that your body needs to move. Some people may have issues stemming from the lower back, but sometimes it could be coming from somewhere else. For this blog post, we will be focusing on one potential culprit - the hip flexors.
When you are sitting for a long period of time your hip flexors will be shortened, bringing your knees closer to your chest. Over time, this position can cause the muscles to adapt and shorten to the position. In addition, opposing muscles will be long and weak (core muscles and gluteals). The body will further adapt to this environment by pulling the lumbar spine forward as the hip flexors will be short. There could be a lot of imbalances at play - short/weak muscles, postural misalignment, imbalances and subluxations. Pain in the lower back can be caused by multiple sources.
If this describes your life, there are a lot of things that you can do to help alleviate the pressure on your lower back.
Take frequent breaks: it might sound too easy but you body is designed to move. Keeping stationary will just make your body stiffen up and cause a wide range of symptoms. Something simple like getting up every hour to move around can help dramatically!
Strengthen Core Muscles: being aware of your body can do wonders when you're sore. Holding tension in your abdominals and gluteals will help keep your body upright in a natural posture and take the pressure off your back.
Stretch Hip Flexors: another easy way to help with your discomfort is to do the opposite of what you do all day. Exercises to help hip extension will loosen up the tight muscles and allow for better flexibility.
Exercises:
Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch:
On both knees, bring one leg out in front of you. Hips and knees at 90 degrees and hips shoulder width apart, ensuring your front knee does not go over your feet. Holding tension in your abdominals and gluteals to keep your spine and hips straight, lean forward a few inches to feel a stretch deep in your hips. When you feel a comfortable stretch, hold the position for 30 seconds.
Plank:
Down on all fours, arms under shoulders and palms on the floor. Holding tension in your abdominals and gluteals, extend both legs back. Hold the plank position for 20-30 seconds. As you get stronger, hold the position longer.
Squat:
Standing, legs shoulder width apart. Slowly bend your knees to lower your torso, ensuring that your knees to not go over your toes. Think of it like sitting on a chair thats a little far behind you. Slowly come back up to your original position and repeat.
Quadricep Stretch:
On both knees, hips shoulder width apart. Sit on your feet and slowly lean back. Hold the position for 30 seconds when a comfortable stretch is felt.
If you have tried these simple exercises and your symptoms persist or worsen, please contact your health practitioner for further guidance.
For more exercises, please visit the website in the references below or visit your physical therapist or trainer.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!
Reference:
Lambert, W. B. (2017, December 20). Hip Flexor Stretches To Relieve Your Hip Pain. Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://thefittutor.com/hip-flexor-stretches/
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