Impact of Prolonged Sitting on Hamstring Flexibility and Lower Extremity Function in University Students

Sedentary lifestyle is a usual practice among college students because of the academic requirements and screen time. This sedentary life can have an undesirable impact on hamstring and lower extremity performance, which can cause musculoskeletal problems. Objectives: To identify the effects of sitting on the Hamstring flexibility and lower extremity functionality of university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Lahore, which included 194 students aged 18-28 years, both male and female, who engaged in prolonged sitting for at least four hours daily. Structured questionnaire including demographic details and Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) used for data collection. Hamstring flexibility was assessed using the Straight Leg Raise (SLR) test and the Active Knee Extension (AKE) test. Data were analyzed using SPSS-23. Results: The prolonged sitting and sitting position have a significant influence on hamstring flexibility and lower extremity performance. Most of the participants spent more than 10 hours a day sitting, 60.8% of them always sat cross-legged, and 58.2% did not put their feet on the floor when sitting. The majority of them did not have stretching exercises (86.1%) during the working period. Foot contact during sitting was strongly positively related to both hamstring tests of flexibility, SLR (p<0.001) and AKE (p<0.001). Conclusions: The prolonged sitting, especially with young people using laptops, was identified to contribute to tight hamstrings, substandard flexibility, and anterior head posturing. Regular breaks and proper sitting poses, including feet on the ground, are some of the measures that could save musculoskeletal integrity and avoid related dysfunction.