Sit-heavy lifestyles result in weak glutes and tight hip flexors

Among the myriad ill-effects of sitting too much, weak glutes and tight hip flexors are two linked factors that cause the problems you feel first. We often treat people whose spinal health is compromised at its very base; weak glutes and tight hip flexors harm spinal health in the following ways: 

• Compromise spinal stability and contribute to pelvic misalignment 
• Increase the pressure on the lower back by weakening the spine’s supportive network of muscles. 
• Contributes to muscular imbalance which can pull the spine out of alignment
• Make maintaining good posture difficult, if not impossible.

The road to tight hip flexors is frequently travelled

The hip flexors are a group of five muscles that connect the femur to the pelvis, essentially connecting the upper and lower bodies. Sitting flexes the hip flexors; sitting for long periods of time means that these muscles remain engaged for too long, resulting in a loss of flexibility. Reduced flexibility in these muscles creates a pull on the pelvis which tends to move the spine out of alignment at its lowest level. Pelvic misalignment often presents side-by-side with poor spinal stability, meaning that your spine’s chance of supporting the weight of the upper body without incurring injury is reduced. 

Restoring feel and function to tight hip flexors 

If you sit for a living, the fight to keep your hip flexors in a state of balance, with full range of motion, will be constant. We achieve this through a combination of strengthening, stretching and attention to posture. Chiropractic helps by restoring pelvic alignment and addressing muscular imbalance in the lower back and body. From here, we show you stretches and exercises that condition your hip flexors against the ill-effects of your job. Next, we work on awareness regarding posture and proper biomechanics that help you keep pain and dysfunction at bay. If you are interested in finding out more about the role between hip flexors and spinal health, give our office in Alameda a call to schedule an appointment today.