Crossing your legs while sitting seems to be a comfortable default position for most people. Whether you’re sitting at your work desk or lounging at home, crossing your legs can cause hip discomfort shortly after - not even realizing how long you were sitting in the first place!
Let’s briefly explore how this habit can lead to hip pain, the root causes, and what you can do to relieve it.
Why Crossing Your Legs Causes Hip Pain
Simply put, crossing legs causes a twisting of your hips and pelvis. This causes a misalignment and adds unnecessary stress to your joints and surrounding tissues. Let’s break down the effects of leg crossing:
- Shifting weight to one side of your pelvis
- Misalignment to the hip joints and muscle imbalances
- Tightening/tension in muscles such as hip-flexors, gluteals, and the piriformis
You may also ask yourself, how do I know my hip pain is caused by my sitting habits? Some common things to pay attention to include:
- Stiffness to your hip or glutes after sitting
- Discomfort after position changes
- Relief when you sit with legs uncrossed and also after getting up and moving around
If any of this is true for you, time to check out some of these small lifestyle changes to improve any strain you’re feeling.
What You Can Do at Home
Habitual leg-crossing starts with body awareness and retraining how you sit. Ultimately, if any of these options don’t make a difference for you, consider discussing it with your provider - especially if your pain continues or worsens.
Easy methods to incorporate include:
- Sitting with your knees hip-width apart and feet flat on the floor.
- Avoiding crossing legs OR if doing so, switch sides and change positions often
- Use ergonomic chairs that support hip alignment
- Avoid sitting for long periods - try standing/walking around once every hour!
- Learn glute, hip-flexor, or piriformis stretches!
Again, knowing when to seek professional help is pivotal to your overall healing because you’ll want to ensure you’re receiving proper treatment. If you have persistent/sharp pain or if you suspect that your joint or tendon is involved, don’t hesitate to talk to your provider!
Exercises to Balance and Strengthen the Hips
Having a combination of mobility and strengthening exercises in your routine can help you prevent stiffness or body compensation that contributes to your pain. While mobility can assist you in reaching your full range of motion, this also means moving freely during walking and bending. Strengthening exercises (such as glute bridges or side-leg raises) are great for preventing further injury, since stronger muscles means preventing the overworking of one side over the other.
Stretching Exercises to try at home
Pigeon Pose (Piriformis and glutes)
- Beginning with a plank, draw your right knee forward, placing it behind your hands
- Stretch your left leg straight back
- Square your hips and fold forward over your bent leg. Hold for 20-30 seconds on each side.
Legs Up the Wall (Hip Release)
- Sit with your hips close to a wall, lie back, and bring your legs up resting them on the wall
- Place your arms by your sides, palms up
- Breathe slowly, relaxing your hips. Hold position for 1-3 minutes.
If you’re looking for more stretches to try, yoga is always a good option! Check out our page on yoga for hip pain!
Strengthening Exercises
Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back, bending your knees and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart
- While engaging your core, press your heels down to lift your hips up
- Squeeze your glutes at the top, and lower with control. Try 12-15 reps if you can!
Side-Leg Raises
- Lie on your side with legs straight out, your bottom arm may support your head
- Keeping both legs straight, lift the top one towards the ceiling without rotating your hips
- Pause at the top position and lower back down with control. Start with 10-15 reps if possible!
Another wonderful exercise to try is the monster walk - great for lower back pain and hip tightness!
Muscle Release Techniques
Releasing muscles that may be contributing to your hip strain means focusing on muscles such as the Gluteus Medius, Piriformis, Iliacus, Psoas, and of course the Quadratus Lumborum. Whether they’re overworked from activity or tight from being sedentary, using tools such as the QL Claw can help you release your muscles intentionally.
Some other options for hip massage include:
- Myofascial Release
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Trigger Point Therapy
Stop by our page on hip massage to learn how to do some of these at home!
Key Takeaway
Breaking the habit of crossing your legs while sitting may take some strong commitment and body awareness. Consistency is always a key factor and making sure you take your breaks and stretch! Giving your body the necessary support and ergonomic reset can likely give you the relief you’re looking for!
Hip Pain From Crossing Legs While Sitting FAQs
Why do my hips hurt when I sit with my legs crossed?
Crossing of your legs can ultimately tilt and rotate your hips - this adds additional stress on your joints and soft tissues in this area. When there is misalignment or imbalanced posture it can lead to pinching, stiffness and of course, muscle strain.
What does an inflamed hip bursa feel like?
Inflamed hip bursa or bursitis feels like an aching or sharp pain on your lateral hip that is tender with palpation or worsens when sitting for long periods. The discomfort or pain can also be felt if you lie on the side that is inflamed or when walking up stairs.
How to relieve hip pain while sitting?
We go over proper sitting posture on this page but the gist of it is to keep both feet flat on the floor and avoid crossing your legs. Additionally, take breaks from the same position every hour - getting up, walking or stretching when possible.
Can sitting cross-legged cause hip impingement?
It does not directly cause hip impingement, however if you do have current narrowing/impingement, sitting with your legs cross-legged can make things worse!
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