Few people think about joint health until stiffness and pain start to remind them. Yet these are the first signals that the musculoskeletal system needs support. How to help joints and preserve their function is explained by Tatyana Danilovich, a certified corrective exercise specialist (CES) from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM, USA), and a specialist in health‑oriented physical education and movement correction.
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Татьяна Данилович
How common are joint problems?
According to Tatyana, musculoskeletal problems affect up to 80% of the world's population. One of the key risk factors is a sedentary lifestyle: up to 70% of office workers regularly experience back and neck pain.
More than half of these issues are not related to serious diseases but are caused by muscle imbalance, physical inactivity or stress. For example, posture disorders are found in 90% of people worldwide, although many are not even aware of it. The result is that joints experience overload and unnatural friction, leading to accelerated wear, inflammation and chronic pain, the expert explains.
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90% of people worldwide suffer from postural imbalances, which take a toll on joint health
Which joints are most commonly affected?
A sedentary lifestyle primarily affects the following joints:
- hip joints – they remain in a flexed position for long periods, which restricts their natural range of motion (the joint does not move through its full range) and ultimately affects the function of the legs, back and even shoulders.
- knee joints – they become "hostages" of prolonged sitting, weak gluteal muscles and foot problems.
- shoulder joints – their movement is restricted due to poor posture and "stiff" shoulder blades.
We should not forget the spine either, which spends hours in a static, constrained position in office workers, dentists, cosmetologists, hairdressers, drivers, as well as young mothers and fathers who carry children on one side. This leads to reduced mobility and overloading of certain segments.
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The hip and knee joints remain in a bent position for a long time during sedentary work
Is movement really that essential for joints?
The condition of joints depends not only on age or genetics, but also on how actively we use them, emphasizes Tatyana Danilovich.
Bones and joints are the passive part of the musculoskeletal system. They are moved by muscles – the active part. A sedentary lifestyle impairs the nutrition of cartilage, since it is supplied through blood vessels in the muscles and tissues surrounding the joints. It also reduces the elasticity of ligaments and the strength of the muscles that support the joints. All of this eventually leads to stiffness and pain.
Article author: Irina Ivlieva, 8 October 2025
Read the full article at the link.