Sitting has become the new bad word. A long day at work means a long day of sitting – both at work and commuting to and from the office. The problem lies in not only how long we sit but how long we stay in that position, without moving around and engaging other muscles. We tend to stay seated for long periods of time which can change muscular tension and cause that tension to accumulate in certain areas. When these unprepared areas are held in one position for too long, your body starts to adapt toward that position causing reduced range of motion, stiffness and often pain.
When we sit, the back side of the hip gets longer while the front side gets shorter, just as your elbow has one side that shortens and once side that lengthens when it bends. The muscle that gets talked about most often with the topic of sitting is the hamstring, more specifically the hamstring’s upper attachment to the pelvic bone. But it is also important to note that when you sit, generally that upper hamstring / pelvis attachment is actually longer while the hamstring’s other attachment behind your bent knee is shorter. The real culprit to hamstring “tightness” due to sitting is the lower hamstring portion, the portion that connects to the back of your knee. When standing, a straight leg extends behind the body about 15 degrees, while a knee bends 150-170 degrees. That’s a big range of motion difference and potential.
The area that moves the most, in this case the area where the lower hamstring attaches to the knee, has the most to lose or the most to gain! Proper stretching and keeping this important muscle limber will keep some of the aches of long work days at bay. If you leave out this important connection in your body, you will have a hard time finding true relief from those hours of sitting.