Tight hip muscles - What to do while at work

[mydogs]

Does anyone have any recommendations or experience with stretching/preventing tight hip flexor muscles (and other lower body muscles) while in the office?

My whole lower body has been extremely stiff lately that I have to shorten my stirrups a ridiculous amount so I don’t lose my stirrups. This isn’t an everyday problem but is much more noticeable when I’ve done a lot of desk work. I have a standing desk at work that I’ve been utilizing more. I have a half foam roller to help stretch my achilles tendon & calf muscles and do quad stretches when I remember.

But I would really love to find a way to get even a small stretch in my hip flexors while at work so I’m not struggling so much in the saddle.

[tm1]

Forward fold. Fold from the hip, keeping your knees as bent as you need for comfort. If you hold this stretch for multiple breathes, think of flattening your back and gently deepening the stretch on the exhale. Bonus: cross your feet and do this stretch.

Lateral stretches: clasp your hands over your head and stretch to one side, then the other side. You may not think that this is related to your hips, but it can be!

Lunges. You can make them a dynamic stretch by slowly rising up on your back toe and then dropping your heel back down. Turn them into a hamstring stretch by straightening the front leg, and if you have the time and space, reach down to your forward shin or ankle to go into triangle pose.

Stand on one foot and pull the other knee to your chest.

Stand on one leg and cross the other foot over the front of your knee (or thigh if you can), then fold forward from the hip. You can also do this one sitting.

When you’re home, use that foam roller on your quads, hamstrings, adductors and gluts too.

(Remember that the effects of stretching happen in very small increments. Kind of like dressage. You won’t notice at first, but after 6-8 weeks of consistent stretching, suddenly you’ll realize that you are more limber than you were when you started. Learn what a good stretch feels like and don’t push further than that.)

One of the best things you can do is take a series of yoga classes. This will give you a library of stretches, and teach you both the best way to do them and the modifications you can use to make them either easier or more difficult.

[JB]

A forward fold will contract the hip flexors It definitely has other advantages, so there’s nothing wrong with it. Crossing the legs and doing this is REALLY fantastic for the hip abductors.

One typical yoga move is to forward fold/swan dive, then come up with a flat back, so working with a flexing hip , not waist, and then arching the back and looking up, which opens the hip flexors a bit.

Upward dog is great, though not really feasible in most work situations.

An alternating lunge works too, opening up each alternating hip flexor.

A better idea is to do some concentrated work at home, where you take take 5 minutes to warm up, and then do things like up dog, pigeon, and some other positions to open/stretch the hip flexors.

[outerbanks77]

I just got a Fluidstance board to go with my standing desk. I think the constant movement will help protect against hip stiffness.

Google Ido Portal hip mobility for some good stretches (though you’ll get some strange looks if you try them at work)

[mydogs]

@outerbanks77

I just got a Fluidstance board to go with my standing desk. I think the constant movement will help protect against hip stiffness.

How long have you used it? Do you like it?

Thanks everyone else! Those are stretches I already do at home. Don’t think I’ll be doing a downward dog at the office though

[JB]

Upward dog Down dog is awesome for what it is, don’t get me wrong. But it’s Up Dog, and variations of Cobra, which open the hip flexors. You can do a variation of them against a wall as well.

[x-halt-salute]

Hey @mydogs, I’ve been trying to deal with hip tightness at work too, since I have a hip injury and a job that requires me to be in front of a computer for many hours a day. Hip mobility is so important for good riding! Things that have helped are:

1. Switching my desk chair out for an exercise ball, and rolling around a bit so I’m not just sitting with my hips flexed all day (can roll it forward under my desk to open the hips, or side to side for a little stretch).

2. Setting a timer for every hour, and walking to the other end of the building (or better yet, outside) at those intervals. Going to the farthest-away bathroom or water fountain gives me a bit of an excuse for my hourly wander. I also like to get up and stretch in place in between these little excursions.

3. The couch stretch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=137&v=-ZX1QMTdAC4). I do this at home, not work, but it has been great for the hip flexor tightness.

4. The supine piriformis stretch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKp2f5-jRbI). This is not office-friendly, but you can also stretch the same muscle at work (if you’re not wearing a skirt) by crossing ankle over opposite knee and leaning forward a bit with a flat back. Yoga pigeon pose is also great at home or at the gym.

5. Foam rolling hasn’t been super effective for me in the hips, I think because the diameter of the roller is big compared to some of the tight muscle groups and the positions required to roll out hip muscles are a little awkward. I use a lacrosse ball, especially for psoas and tfl. It hurts at first but is effective. (https://redefiningstrength.com/relieve-low-back-and-hip-pain-with-these-moves/). On days when my hip flexors are really tight I sometimes bring the ball to work and roll it against the tight spots under my desk – not as effective as getting down on the floor and digging in, but it helps a little.

Good luck keeping the office job from interfering with your riding mechanics!

[csaper58]

Are you allowed to sit on an exercise ball at your desk?

[outerbanks77]

@mydogs

How long have you used it? Do you like it?

Thanks everyone else! Those are stretches I already do at home. Don’t think I’ll be doing a downward dog at the office though

I’ve only had a it a week, and I haven’t been in the office for a full day since then, but so far, I love it. Easy to push it out of the way if needed; it happens to fit right under my book case. Everyone who stops by is envious and wants to try it out. I got the mid-line one that was around $300. If you’re shorter, the $200 plastic version would probably be fine, but the deck is a bit smaller, and I have size 11 feet, so I went with the wood and aluminum one.