Maintaining a healthy hip joint while sitting is more difficult than it seems, and it doesn’t help that we spend most of our time parked in front of the computer.
Luckily this problem can be solved with some forward-thinking and strategic placement of office furniture. Here are some simple steps to keep your hips happy while you’re at work:
The Chair Itself
If your chair isn’t comfortable, get another one. If you have trouble finding just the right size or height, get different chairs for different tasks so you don’t always have to rely on your desk chair. Plus there’s nothing like rolling out from under a desk to stand up and stretch every 20-30 minutes! When shopping for a new chair, look for chairs with curved backs, like the one in this picture. The curve should be big enough to support your lower back but also fit your hips.
Can’t Afford a New Chair?
If you can’t afford to throw out your old chair or get a new one, it’s time for some DIY action! Place a large pillow over the small of your back (between the top of your buttocks and where your low back begins to curve) and make sure it stays put while you go about you day. Think of this as building up the lower part of the chair so that when you sit, there is no longer any pressure on your hips or tailbone. To construct this pillow, stuff three fist-sized pillows into one coverless pillow case and stitch it shut on the open end.
Nothing Over Your Hips
The idea is to make sure nothing comes over your hips and onto your knees, either by using a pillow or by turning up the heat (figuratively of course). You don’t want to make things uncomfortable but you also don’t want to cramp up and cause pain in your hips and legs. Add some cushioning and support and you should be good to go!
Sitting Straight
No matter how much stuff you add underneath you, whatever is directly under your pelvis will hurt. Sit straight with both feet flat on the floor, not angled towards each other like in the picture below. If that doesn’t work for you, get a footrest so you can keep your ankles at a 90° angle.
Sitting Tall
As if sitting straight wasn’t enough, you also need to sit tall. Keeping your chest high and shoulders back will help you maintain an open hip angle so nothing pinches down on the front of your hips.
Lumbar Support
Finally, make sure whatever chair you’re using has lumbar support for the small of your back (like in the picture below). If this doesn’t work or isn’t possible with your current chair, consider getting one that does or setting up some pillows like we talked about earlier.
Hip discomfort and driving have a negative connection
Good posture is important for everyone but it’s especially crucial for people with hip pain. When sitting in a chair, don’t slouch over your computer or lean back on the couch to watch TV. Sit straight without craning your neck forward and readjust yourself every time you feel your hips starting to slip into slouch mode!
Is it harmful to the hip flexors to drive?
If you’re new to this kind of core strengthening, double up with a pillow for some added comfort.
Everyone knows that driving can cause hip discomfort and numbness but did you know it’s also one of the most dangerous positions for your back? If we spend all day doing this, it’ll only be a matter of months before our backs are broken down to nothing!
This bad habit is similar to what happens when you lean over to pick something off the floor - typically called ’rounding’. When rounding at work or driving the car, the muscles in your back are still working to support you but they’re working against gravity.
Conclusion
Driving can be fun but it can also cause short term and long term damage to your hips. To avoid this, sit properly in the driver’s seat so that nothing comes over your hips or knees, maintain an open hip angle by straightening out both of your legs, sit tall with chest high and shoulders back, use lumbar support if possible, and sit as close as you comfortably can to the steering wheel. Driving is dangerous for your back so make sure you don’t drive for more than 2 hours at a time. If this isn’t possible, stretch your back with these lower back exercises.