by ΤThe hips are a remarkable part of our body. They are strong enough to provide impressive stability, help us give birth to babies and keep us moving. The muscles in our hips — think of the glutes, hip flexors, adductor muscles, and hind thighs — are a vital group that has a lot of strength.
And when the hips hurt, we really feel the consequences. But it does not take much injury to cause major problems here – sometimes, the most subtle little habits, such as repeatedly leaning on one hip each time we stand, can cause imbalances, put too much stress on an area and hurt them. our hips over time.
“In general, there is nothing wrong with putting our hips in different positions,” says Adefemi Betiku, DPT, CSCS, Pilates Club trainer. “Our hips are strong enough to handle them. “Problems arise when we firmly place our hips in the same positions for extended periods of time or try a new activity that is very aggressive and puts strain on the hip joint.”
Simple habits, when repeated over and over again, can damage even this super strong part of the body. Fortunately, a few small adjustments to our daily routine and trends can help us keep our hips strong, supple and healthy.
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The big three: Sitting, sleeping and overdoing it
1. Seat too much or unevenly
No surprise here: Sitting is a big offense when it comes to long-term hip pain. “Sitting for extended periods of time could increase a person’s chances of having hip joint problems,” says Dr. Betiku. According to Get America Standing, the average American sits 10 hours a day. It’s been a long time on our feet.
Prolonged sitting can cause muscle degeneration and pain not only in our hips but also in our back and neck. You can fight it by consciously trying to stand up all day, which will reactivate the muscles and make the blood flow: Get these clues from your Apple Watch to get up, walk and even do some stretches. Some studies suggest that you stand for 15 minutes for each hour you sit at your desk.
Also, pay attention to how you sit. Crossing your legs or always sitting with a wallet in a pocket can put pressure on the joint and cause imbalances that lead to tendonitis.
2. Continuous sleep on the same side
Dr. Betiku says that repetitive sleep on one side is also a bad habit. Always curling up in the same direction can cause certain hip conditions, such as bursitis or inflammation in your hip joints, he says.
If you are committed to fetal sleep, do not panic yet. Sleeping on your side is said to be one of the healthiest ways to sleep, according to the Sleep Foundation. This is because it potentially allows for proper alignment of your spine. Pain can come, however, when this position does not occur. The solution: Try sleeping on a body pillow to help align and alleviate these morning pains.
3. Go to the gym very hard very early
With any exercise, full steam diving forward without stretching enough or balancing the muscles can lead to injury and pain, especially in the hips and lower back. “Performing moderate to high impact exercises without other stretches and exercises that help improve these forces could cause a number of hip problems,” says Dr. Betiku. To enhance and soothe hip pain, Dr. Betuki relies on Pilates for its benefits.
“As a physiotherapist, strength and fitness trainer, and certified Pilates teacher, I have had the opportunity to fully understand the benefits of exercise that promotes optimal hip health,” she says. “Pilates has the ability to promote hip bone growth, hip joint mobility, hip flexibility, and hip joint strengthening.”
He says that doing simple Pilates mat exercises at home can be a simple and effective solution to help you.
Are you ready to get started? Take 15 to focus on pelvic floor mobility and hip flexion with Brian Spencer of East River Pilates in this refreshing, hip-focused flow:
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