If you’ve never suffered from a back or hip joint injury and yet still experience pain in these areas, you’re not alone: according to the American Chiropractic Association's Back Pain Fact Sheet, as many as 85 percent of people will experience back pain in their lifetime. Yet for many of these people, their pain can be traced to nothing more than muscle imbalances caused by a sedentary lifestyle.
Here’s what happens when you sit all day, as at your desk at work: the hip flexor muscles, located at the front of the hip, become short and tight from sitting while your glute muscles, which oppose the hip flexors and therefore must relax in the seated position, grow weak. Similarly, the hamstrings and adductor (inner thigh) muscles become overactive while the abductors (outer thigh, glutes) are underused, and the abdominals are weakened as the low back grows ever tighter and overactive.
The result of all these imbalances is a body that’s pulled out of alignment, that demonstrates poor posture, and that, often, experiences pain. Furthermore, as the muscles are arranged linearly, an imbalance in one section of the body can produce a domino effect in which pain is felt in another area. Therefore, the best way to ease back pain—as well as hip pain like sciatica—is to address its cause—strengthening weak muscles like the abs and glutes while stretching tight, overactive ones. Here are the four best stretches to help correct the most common muscle imbalances.
Figure Four Stretch: Piriformis
The piriformis muscle, an external rotator of the hip located beneath the glutes, is quick to become overactive (so much so that it’s often the structure responsible for sciatica pain). Because the way we sit causes this muscle to shorten over time, it can become so tight, in fact, that it becomes spasmodic. Regular stretching, in addition to foam rolling, is essential to getting the piriformis to relax
To stretch the piriformis, sit upright on the front edge of a chair and cross your right ankle over your left knee, with left foot planted flat on the floor and right knee pointing out to the side. Slowly lean forward from the hip with your back straight until you feel the stretch deep in your right hip; hold for 30 seconds and repeat on opposite side.
Warrior Stretch: Hip Flexors
The hip flexors, which include the psoas major and minor, are found in the front of the hip. This is where the leg bends when seated; therefore these muscles rarely get a chance to lengthen properly. And when these muscles become shortened, they can tilt the pelvis forward, putting upward pressure on the low back. Tight hip flexors also cause the legs to externally rotate (think “duck footed”), which further shortens the piriformis.
To stretch the hip flexors, get down on one knee with the opposite foot planted in front of you and slightly out to the side (think of football players “taking a knee”). Squeezing the glutes of the back leg and tucking your pelvis under, slowly press forward through the hip while maintaining a 90-degree angle in your front knee until you feel a pull in the front of your extended hip. Hold for 30 seconds and switch.
Adductor Stretch
The hip adductors, found on the inner thigh, are the group of muscles that squeeze your knees together. These, too, can become tight from sitting (especially from sitting with legs crossed) and therefore can benefit from stretching, as tight adductors inhibit the abductors—the glutes and outer-thigh muscles. Weak glutes lead to overactive low back muscles and hamstrings, thus reinforcing the cycle of imbalances that cause pain in the first place.
To stretch the adductors, hold a side lunge position: squat over your left leg with the right leg extended straight out to the side. Place your right hand on the floor just inside your left foot and your left hand atop your left thigh; gently twist your torso to the left and hold. Repeat on opposite side.
Low Back Stretch
While stretching the muscles of the low back won’t technically correct any alignment issues, it will give some relief to muscles made tight by sitting all day. A good time to stretch the back is between sets of ab exercises, which will allow for a fuller range of motion during crunches.
To stretch the low back, lie on your back on the floor and pull your knees in toward your chest by grabbing the backs of your thighs. Make sure to tuck your chin and keep your shoulder blades, low back, and tailbone pressed into the floor. Optionally, gently rock your hips back and forth and from side to side.
Remember to hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds without bouncing, and go into each stretch slowly and carefully—don’t force it. Stretch each muscle group daily, twice for extra-tight muscles.
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