From Sitting Too Long to Standing Too Fast: The Surprising Triggers of Hip Pain
One Moment You’re Sitting Comfortably—The Next, Your Hip Is Screaming
You’re not lifting heavy.
You’re not running marathons.
You’re just… living your normal life.
And yet, every time you get up from a chair, your hip says, “Not today.”
It feels tight.
It twinges when you straighten up.
And walking off the stiffness takes longer each time.
So what’s happening?
Believe it or not, everyday habits like sitting too long or standing too fast can be enough to spark and sustain ongoing hip pain.
Hip Pain Isn’t Just for Athletes or the Elderly
At Physiotherapy Ballincollig, we treat plenty of gym-goers and weekend warriors—but we also see desk workers, parents, and retirees dealing with stubborn hip pain.
Often, it’s not from a major injury.
It’s from how they move—or don’t move—every single day.
Here’s How Daily Life Creates Hip Trouble
1. Too Much Sitting
When you sit for hours:
Your hip flexors tighten
Your glutes shut down
Your pelvis tilts forward
And your lower back compensates
All of this puts extra strain on the hip joint and the muscles around it. Over time? You’ve got chronic hip joint pain that feels like it came out of nowhere.
2. Standing Up Too Quickly
It sounds harmless, but if your hip muscles are tight and inactive, suddenly bearing weight and moving into extension can cause:
Sharp front-of-hip pain
Deep joint pinching
Strain on the hip flexors or tendons
Especially if your posture isn’t aligned or you rely on momentum to “launch” yourself upright.
3. Weak Glutes = Overloaded Hips
Your glutes should absorb force and help stabilise your pelvis when you move. If they’re underactive from long periods of sitting? Your hip joint picks up the slack—and starts to ache.
4. Poor Posture and Pelvic Position
Rounded shoulders. Forward head. Tucked-under pelvis.
All of it messes with your spine and hip alignment.
That adds stress to muscles and joints that weren’t built for it—hello, hip pain.
So What Can You Do to Fix It?
At Rehab Services Ballincollig, we don’t just treat the symptoms—we address the root cause of your hip pain.
✅ Step 1: Mobilise What’s Tight
We gently stretch and mobilise:
Hip flexors
TFL (tensor fascia lata)
Lower back
Quads and adductors
This frees up movement and reduces that “stuck” feeling when you stand.
✅ Step 2: Reactivate What’s Sleeping
You’ll learn how to turn your glutes back on with:
Glute bridges
Clamshells
Side-lying hip lifts
Resistance band walks
These movements reset the brain-muscle connection that gets lost with too much sitting.
✅ Step 3: Retrain Your Stand-Up Strategy
We coach you on how to transition from sitting to standing with control and alignment, so you stop straining your hips every time you get up.
✅ Step 4: Strengthen for the Long Haul
Once mobility and control are back, we build hip strength with functional moves—lunges, squats, step-ups—so your hips can handle anything life throws at them.
You Don’t Need a Major Injury to Need Rehab
Small habits add up.
And if your hip is already sending out signals, it’s time to listen—before it screams louder.
If your hips are aching and your daily routine is making it worse, we can help.
📞 Book your full-body assessment at Sports Injury Clinic Ballincollig today.
Let’s uncover the hidden habits behind your pain—and build a plan to fix them for good.
Movement is your medicine. Let us guide the dose.
