A recliner chair is a comfortable seating option for many people, but is it healthy? Do you think are recliners bad for your hips? Most people know that the hip joint is the only joint that doesn’t have a range of motion. This means that when your hip is out of its normal position or in the same position for long hours, then it can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the hip area.
For most, recliners are used for relaxation and sitting, but if you are not positioned correctly, sitting for extended hours and lack of activity can lead to a number of health issues, including hip or back pain, risk of knee pain, and uneasiness to your overall body.
So your overall body posture matters a lot as if you don’t adopt a comfortable position then you will be going to feel pain near the hip region.
Actually, the hip region feels weak when you stand up from the sitting position because the core, glutes, hip flexors, and hip extensors have maxed out their strength from too much sitting.
Now that we have an idea of what hip pain is about, let’s take a look at the reasons why recliners could be bad for your hips and physical health.
As we discussed hip pain can be caused if prolonged sitting is being done without movement and breaks, however, let’s see what are the other causes due to which recliner can cause hip pains.
Table of Contents
Reasons Recliners Can Be Bad For The Hips
Let me explain recliners themselves are not bad, Firstly the way you use the recliner matters a lot. So if you are using recliners for relaxation, then they are good for your hips and joint pain. But if you are using recliners for prolonged hours, then you need to be careful.
Now you may be wondering how you can be careful while sitting, right? Well, it depends on your preferences.
For example, if you are a heavy person or someone who likes watching TV or playing games a lot then you would want to get a comfortable recliner for hip support.
Basically, the requirements I am referring to are the things to consider before buying a comfortable recliner, like making sure the recliner fits your body size without causing any discomfort and unbearable pain while sitting in the same position.
Hopefully, now you know what are the basic things you should consider and know when you are sitting in a recliner without causing and thinking about complaints about hip pain. As there are some other things that might be causing hip pain, let me tell you what they are so that you can avoid severe pain and get relief from hip pain.
- A recliner that is not your size
- Wrong angle
- upright vs reclined
- incorrect height
A Recliner That Is Not Your Size
Having a recliner that is not your size can cause unbearable pain in your hips and legs. So you should be sure that the recliner you are going to buy is the right size for you.
When a recliner isn’t your size, it doesn’t mean that the overall recliner isn’t your size, but it can be about the size of the seat.
If you’re wondering what the seat size means, read on. Well, it matters a lot as the seat size can be adjusted in different ways. By sliding it to the right or left, you can make it wider or narrower in order to avoid discomfort.
There are many types of recliners, but having too small or too large can be a problem. If you are sitting on a recliner that is too big for you, it can cause your hips to be uncomfortable, and cause you to move them too much. If this happens, it can cause your hips to become weak and cause pain in your hips.
If you are sitting on a recliner that is too small for you, it will not be comfortable. This can cause your hips to be weak and can cause your hips to press on the seat, which can cause pain in your hips.
If you’re worried about the size of your recliner, then you can ask your friends or family members about their experience with it.
Wrong Angle
The entire point of recliners is for the user to be able to recline the backrest as desired and at convenience However, some people tend to sit in recliners in a way that the backrest doesn’t face them. This can cause the hips to press on the backrest. This will cause pain in the hips. You can avoid this by adjusting the recliner’s backrest to the right angle.
Hip pain is more common among those who have had hip surgery in the past. If you are one of them, make sure to read our guide on the recommended recliner for hip replacement surgery.
Upright vs Reclined
Should you be sitting in the upright or reclined position? The other thing you need to consider is whether you are sitting in the upright or reclined position.
The upright position is the most common one, as mostly the chair at the office or any other area are at an angle of 90 degrees which can cause chronic pain in the back and hips could result from sitting at this angle for prolonged periods of time.
However, The reclined position is better if you want to relax, as the chair’s backrest is angled backward and the seat is flat, allowing you to recline as much as you want. but if you are sitting upright for a long period of time, then you can also recline the recliner. You can recline it to the right angle and according to the way you feel comfortable.
The upright position is good for long periods of time, but the reclined position is good for short periods of time. So it all depends on what you are going to do.
Incorrect Height
The recliner height is an important thing to consider. The recliner height can be adjusted to fit your height. The recliner height may be adjustable, but this does not mean that it is the right height for everyone.
It is important to consider your own height when choosing a recliner, as not all recliners will be designed with a height that matches your own. So how should one know which recliner height is better? To know this question you should know about the height of the recliner.
When you sit in a recliner, it can be of two types, it can be either fixed or adjustable. The fixed height recliner is a recliner that is designed with a fixed height, which means that it will not be able to be adjusted to the height of the user. This can be very annoying, as you have to stand up every time you want to adjust the recliner. However, the adjustable recliner is designed with a height that can be adjusted to fit the user.
If the recliner height is not correct, it can cause the hips to press on the backrest. This can cause pain in the hips.
Footrest
The recliner’s footrest is one of its strongest selling points because it allows the user to fully recline in a relaxed and comfortable position. The footrest of recliners provides support to the user’s lower extremities, thus, reducing fatigue and strain and keeping away from different types of hip pain.
A reclined position should have a high enough footrest for the user to comfortably stretch his or her legs, as well as an elevated footrest on the heart’s level. The footrest needs to be adjusted so that it can be raised or lowered depending on the user’s height requirements.
The legs should also extend slightly and hang over the footrest, this way, the pressure is evenly distributed along the legs. This takes a lot of pressure off the heel of the feet and the backbone which eventually spreads across the hip bone area.
It is also important to extend the legs slightly over the footrest of recliner chairs, so the pressure is evenly distributed.
Because of this, the left foot, right foot, and backbone are relieved of a lot of pressure.
Poor Lumbar Support
There are only a few parts in a recliner chair, and lumber is one of the important ones. It is important to have lumbar support that is firm and strong. It is not recommended to use a recliner with loose lumbar support.
It is important to consider the strength of the lumbar support, as it should be able to withstand the weight of the user. It is very dangerous for a user to use a recliner with poor lumbar support, as it can cause injury to the user’s hip muscles and hip tissues.
Good lumbar support takes care of your hips and back while distributing the weight evenly, reducing discomfort and different type of leg pain or hip pain.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the steps we discussed above are the few things you should keep in mind in order to prevent hip pain and back discomfort.
As I’ve mentioned before, your overall body posture is very important, so you should avoid sitting in a too-bent position or avoid sitting by putting weight on either hip.
Consider, for example, sitting so that your weight is evenly distributed throughout your body, not just on your left hip or right hip.
Having a recliner that fits your needs is the last thing you should keep in mind. Avoid any discomfort that could be the source of severe pain, so it is important to solve anything that is mentioned above in the article, that you might have in your recliner to make it right for you.
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