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7 Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises To Fix A Painful Lower Back
What characterizes the anterior pelvic tilt and what anterior pelvic tilt exercises can help you?
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There are certain imbalances that characterize the anterior pelvic tilt:
- Weak abdominal muscles;
- Tight hip flexors (the group of small muscles in the front groin area);
- Weak glutes;
- Tight lower back muscles (erector spinae);
- Overstretched hamstrings (due to the pelvic tilt);
As a result, people with anterior pelvic tilt have the following changes in posture (in varying degrees):
- Pelvis tilted forward;
- Exaggerated arch in the lower back;
- Abdominals that stick forward;
Such changes in posture more often than not lead to lower back pain and tightness, hip pain, and knee pain, and, for those of us who lift, create problems with proper glutes activation and force production.
As the pelvis is the foundation of your spine, it’s no surprise that its misposition can drastically affect your whole posture and cause multiple pain points and tightness throughout the whole body.
What causes anterior pelvic tilt?
There are many factors that can cause an anterior pelvic tilt – starting from excessive sitting, muscle imbalances due to improper strength training, foot pronation, physical inactivity, and to some extent – genetic predisposition.
All in all, today’s way of living makes us all prone to postural deviations.
In fact, a study found that around ¾ of women suffer from anterior pelvic tilt, the numbers being even higher for men.
Of course, that’s not to say that we can’t or shouldn’t strive to improve or prevent it.
How do you fix your anterior pelvic tilt?
It’s a simple list: You need to regain the balance in your lower body – stretch the tight muscles (hip flexors and lower back) and strengthen the weak ones (glutes and abdominals).
Anterior Pelvic Tilt Test
There’s a simple test you can do to help you determine if you have an anterior pelvic tilt – it’s called the Thomas’ test, named after the British surgeon Hugh Owen Thomas.
All you need to do is lie down on a table with your legs hanging off the table at the knee. Pull one knee towards the chest. If the resting leg raises off the table, your pelvis might be incorrectly aligned.
It’s worth noting that the pelvis has a natural forward tilt of about 10 to 15 degrees, which is considered normal.
Video: A stretch routine to relieve lower back pain (turn off Adblock to see the video)
7 Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises To Fix Painful Lower Back
1. Lying Pelvic Tilts
The first step is to learn to get controlled into a posterior pelvic tilt. You can do that either by standing with your back to a wall or as shown above – lying on the ground.
Focus on engaging your core and switching from anterior tilt (when there’s space between the mat and the lower back) and posterior tilt (when your back is flat on the ground).
If you find this hard, it might be a better idea to start with some static stretches as shared in this post, before moving to the routine here.
2. Bodyweight Glute Bridges
As we mentioned already, we need to strengthen the glutes and the glute bridge is one of the best exercises for that.
Related read to the Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises:
10 Abs exercises better than sit-ups {6 for back pain relief}
3. Bodyweight Hip Thrusts
We continue with the strengthening of the posterior chain (the muscles in the back of the body).
Your pivot point with the surface should be right under your shoulder blades.
The feet, in general, should be shoulder-width apart, shins vertical to each other. Toes can point slightly out.
Squeeze the glutes at the top and keep the movement controlled.
Related read to the Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises:
Top 8 Glute Exercises to Strengthen and Shape Your Behind
4. Elevated Bodyweight Hip Thrusts
It’s a variation of the traditional hip thrust and a lot of the ques stay the same – controlled movement, engaged glutes, hamstrings, and core.
Related read to the Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises:
10 Desk-friendly chair stretches to relieve muscle pain
5. Cat/Camel Stretch
The point of this exercise is to regain ROM (range of motion) in your spine and get used to controlling the positioning of your pelvis.
Related read to the Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises:
7 corrective exercises for anterior pelvic tilt
6. Reverse Plank
The reverse plank is a great exercise, especially for the purposes of this routine: it works your posterior chain and core without putting extra stress on the hip flexors.
Remember not to let your hips sag, keep the body in a straight line, and engage your abs.
Related read to the Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises:
5 Extremely Easy Lower Back Stretches for quick pain relief
7. Plank
Another core exercise that won’t further tighten your hip flexors but strengthen your core – is the good ol’ plank.
Related read to the Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises:
8 Lower back stretches to relieve tight and painful back
Full Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises Routine
View the exercises in a Google Web Story
Further tips on fixing your posture/anterior pelvic tilt
- Make it a point to get up often from your desk and move a bit if you’re sitting for an extended period of time;
- Stretch regularly;
- Take up yoga;
- Wear comfortable shoes/avoid high heels;
- Consult with a podiatrist to examine your foot pronation and determine if your problem stems from your feet {flat feet can be one of the triggers leading to multiple changes in posture}
Frequently Asked Questions
Can anterior pelvic tilt be corrected?
Yes – you can. You will need to regain balance in your lower body – stretch the tight muscles (hip flexors and lower back) and strengthen the weak ones (glutes and abdominals).
What is the fastest way to fix anterior pelvic tilt?
The fast way – you need to identify the factors that cause your anterior pelvic tilt (e.g. excessive sitting, muscle imbalances due to improper strength training, foot pronation, physical inactivity) and start to fix them by implementing strength and stretching exercises.
How long does it take to correct anterior pelvic tilt?
It will depend on how consistently you are working on improving your muscle imbalances via strength and stretching exercises. Some studies suggest that the anterior pelvic tilt can be improved in just six weeks.
What causes anterior pelvic tilt?
There are many factors that can cause an anterior pelvic tilt – starting from excessive sitting, muscle imbalances due to improper strength training, foot pronation, physical inactivity, and to some extent – genetic predisposition.
