Why your body feels achy and uneven: 5 everyday habits that strain one side more than the other

You don’t need to be an athlete to develop muscle imbalances. From the way you sit to how you carry your bag, physiotherapists explain how common daily habits can make one side of your body tighter or weaker – and what to do about it.

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If you have been playing racket sports such as tennis, badminton or even pickleball for a while, you may notice a disparity between your dominant arm and non-dominant one. Your playing arm is more muscular, feels stronger, and may also have a bigger range of motion than the other side.

This difference, known as muscle imbalance, is very common – even in those who don’t play sports, according to physiotherapists. “Everyone has them,” said senior physiotherapist Deon Tan from Changi General Hospital. “Muscle imbalances can happen when some muscles get tight while others do not get used enough and become weaker."

A common reason, Tan said, is hand dominance. He cited research that showed the dominant hand is usually about 10 per cent to 13 per cent stronger than the non-dominant hand. 

The result? You may feel like the oft-used side feels tighter or stiffer than the other, said Philip Bezgoubov, a physiotherapist with Core Concepts. “The resting position of the joint may also change slightly.” 

For example, “if you put more pressure on your left hip, you may unconsciously put more weight into that hip throughout the day because that is what your body has become accustomed to,” said Bezgoubov. 

While it’s unrealistic for your body to be perfectly balanced at all times, there are activities in your daily life that can tip the scale. Here’s a look at how your daily movements affect you – and what you can do to restore balance and feel less sore. 

1. CARRYING A BAG ON THE SAME SHOULDER

This is an obvious one – though you may not be conscious of your body’s changes: your shoulder is raised; your spine leans away from the load; and there’s uneven pressure on the neck. 

Add to that a sedentary lifestyle and prolonged sitting – and you have a maelstrom that results in neck and shoulder aches over time, cautioned Choo Jia Yi, a senior physiotherapist with National University Hospital’s Department of Rehabilitation. 

“Switch shoulders when you have the chance; for example, when boarding the bus or MRT, or entering a lift,” she advised. It also helps to put your bag down whenever possible to let your muscles rest, she said. 

When carrying your bag, Choo suggested, maintain a neutral posture with relaxed and level shoulders – don’t round or elevate them. Other tips include reducing the weight of your bag, or switching to a backpack for a better distribution of the load.

It also helps to strengthen the shoulder stabilisers and core muscles at the gym, Choo said, and stretch your overloaded neck and shoulder muscles regularly. “Some improvements may be felt immediately, while others may take weeks or even months.”

2. SLEEPING ON THE SAME SIDE EVERY NIGHT

You may not realise this but sleeping on the same side every night can allow your lower back to sink downwards – especially when you’re using a pillow that’s too high or low, said Bezgoubov. If you don’t sleep with a pillow between your legs, he added, your upper leg will also drop and potentially lead to tightness on the inner side of the top leg.

“You aren’t likely to feel anything in the short term, unless the posture is new to your body,” said Bezgoubov. “Think about sleeping on a bed you're not used to and waking up the next day feeling achy.” 

But in the long run, this is how you start to feel some of the imbalances, such as the one-sided tightness, said Bezgoubov. “The effects are largely going to be muscular as muscles are more pliable than ligaments or bones.” If you have an existing shoulder issue, you may experience increased pain on the sleeping side as there is added pressure on all the tissues in the shoulder, he cautioned. 

“Try sleeping on the other side by placing a pillow behind your back,” said Bezgoubov. “This will make it harder for you to turn over onto your preferred side at night.”

3. STANDING WITH YOUR WEIGHT ON ONE LEG

Take note of how you stand the next time you’re waiting for the bus or MRT. Do you put all your weight on one leg? Doing so can, over time, create muscle imbalances in the legs as well as put extra strain on the lower back, said Tan. 

“Simply telling yourself to stand evenly usually does not work because the imbalanced posture has already become a habit over many years,” he said. 

A better approach is to retrain your body through simple exercises, he suggested. For example, practise sit-to-stand movements, making sure both legs share the load evenly. Do this for 10 repetitions, two or three sets daily, Tan said. “With regular practice, you may start to notice improvements within three to four weeks.”

Locking the knees – especially when they are pushed slightly past straight – puts extra stress on the front of the knee and can cause pain, according to Tan. That said, your knees are meant to straighten; completely avoiding straightening them can also make the muscles weaker over time, he said.

The key is having good control over your knees and leg muscles. "Slow, controlled squats can help train the muscles to support the knee properly without overloading it," he advised. 

4. SITTING WITH ONE LEG CROSSED OVER THE OTHER 

“The lower and upper back tend to round when you’re sitting cross-legged, putting potential stress on the back muscles if done for prolonged periods,” said Bezgoubov.

Depending on how you cross your leg – knee-over-knee or ankle-over-knee – you may load one side of the buttocks more than the other, he explained. “If the right knee goes over the left knee, there will be more pressure on your left buttock. If the right ankle goes over the left knee, there will be more pressure on your right buttock.”

If you're healthy, said Bezgoubov, this will not mean much in the short term. “However, over time, tightness can build in the deeper hip muscles on one side. In cases like sciatica, sitting with increased pressure on the affected side can be painful as the underlying nerve is sensitive.”

To relieve the tight muscle, try stretching, foam rolling or massages, advised Bezgoubov. “It needs to be done frequently, along with habit adjustments. Results can usually be seen within the first two weeks of diligent care.”

Meanwhile, use external reminders to adopt a different sitting posture. This can include sticky notes, alerts on your phone or computer, or even helpful friends and family, he said.

5. DRIVING FOR LONG HOURS

Fighting fatigue aside, your body is also bearing the brunt physically. “Prolonged driving keeps the hips flexed, and reduces activation of the gluteal muscles and deep core stabilisers,” said Choo. “Over time, this can lead to tight hip flexors and lower back ache.”

Prolonged sitting, whether from driving or working in the office, can also hit your intervertebral disc health. “The reduced movement limits the exchange of nutrients, water and waste within the discs,” said Choo. “Movement is needed to maintain the height of each intervertebral disc and overall spine health.”

Here’s what you can do before you even start the engine, Choo suggested. Factor in fuelling stops or set reminders on your phone when planning your trip. Adjust the seat so that you are leaning back slightly, with a hip angle of about 100 to 120 degrees. 

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