How sedentary lifestyle is weakening hip and knee joints, 4 simple fixes

Prolonged sitting stiffens your joints, weakens muscles, and harms posture. Small changes—like micro-breaks, stretches, and ergonomic fixes—can protect your hips, knees, and spine. (Image: Pexels)

Your hip and knee joints are meant to move, and when you do not move them or they are in one place for too long, the joints stiffen up and the muscles and connective tissues weaken and shorten. This inactivity causes tightness and weakness, pulling on the joints and making them prone to pain.

Sitting for long hours also restricts blood circulation, leading to inflammation and pain in the joints. Staying in a flexed position for hours tightens the hip flexor muscles, which can negatively impact posture and mobility. When you eventually get up, the knees experience additional pressure, making them more susceptible to pain and injury. What begins as mild stiffness can, if ignored, progress into chronic pain or even joint disorders.

However, you can combat these effects with slight modifications and frequent movement, says Dr Ramneek Mahajan, Chairman - Orthopaedics, Joint Replacement & Chief Robotic Joint Replacement, Max Smart Super Specialty Hospital, Saket.

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The Effect of Sitting On the Body

Think about your body as a piece of machinery that is designed to move. Sitting all day makes some muscles lazy and while others are overworked. Hip flexors get tight, glutes get weak, and core muscles lose their strength and in turn become tight and tender. That imbalance can mess with your posture, compress discs in the spine, and eventually lead to slipped or herniated discs and back pain. The joints need to move to lubricate the surrounding tissue, so if you let them sit idle, you will find your joints stiff and brittle.

Solution 1: Take Frequent Micro-Breaks

The most straightforward solution to counteract sitting is to move often. Stand up every 30-60 minutes and stretch or walk around for a few minutes. Put alerts on the phone or make a standing table to swap from sitting to standing. Even mini-activities, such as walking to fetch water, or doing shoulder rolls at your desk, can be highly beneficial.

Solution Two: Strengthening and Stretching of Prime Movers

Add stretches to loosen your hip flexors, along with exercises that target your glutes and core. Lunges, bridges and squats help to rebalance your body after sitting. Easy yoga poses such as the pigeon stretch or child’s pose can also alleviate tightness in the hips. Larger, more supple muscles surrounding the joints give them some support and lessen the load.

Solution 3: Watch Your Weight

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Carrying excess body weight causes added wear and tear on your knees and hips. Your knees take four times the pressure for every kilo extra that you walk on. A healthy body weight achieved through a good diet combined with regular exercise will reduce a lot of the stress and pain you may feel in your joints.

Solution 4: Optimize Your Workspace

A workstation that is comfortable to use can reduce the long-term effects of sitting. Sit in a chair with good lumbar support, keep your screen at eye level, and position your keyboard so that you are not hunched over. However, natural light and a clean area also encourage good posture and comfort.

Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis.