How To Fix Anterior Pelvic Tilt Posture – 10 Exercises

Anterior pelvic tilt (aka lower crossed syndrome) is a common condition that affects many of my patients.

A study published in Manual Therapy found that up to 85% of males and up to 75% of females have an anterior pelvic tilt, even if they’re not experiencing symptoms.

If you’ve ever been told that your butt sticks out or that your stomach protrudes, chances are you have an anterior pelvic tilt.

The good news is that there are a variety of stretches and strengthening exercises that you can do to correct your pelvic positioning and regain a pain-free, neutral pelvic alignment. Note: we have covered posterior pelvic tilt separately here.

An anterior pelvic tilt means that your pelvis is rotated forward. The forward positioning of your pelvis forces the curve in your lower back to adopt a more extended position, known as hyperlordosis.

This posture is sometimes referred to as the “Donald Duck” posture!

Not only is an anterior pelvic tilt unsightly, it can lead to a variety of problems, including:

• Decreased athletic performance.
• Decreased spinal movement.
• Increased pressure on spinal vertebrae, which can lead to facet joint irritation, stress fractures, increasedintervertebral disc pressure, and disc degeneration.
• Chronic pain of the back, hips, knees, and ankles (and sometimes the feet)
• Sciatica symptoms
• Causes of Anterior pelvic tilt

The most common culprit for developing an anterior pelvic tilt is sitting, incorrectly, for prolonged periods of time.

With today’s sedentary lifestyle, more and more people spend countless hours sitting at a computer all day, and when you sit at a computer, you tend to sit forwards in your chair. This body posture places your pelvis in an anterior position. Over time, the muscles of your lower body adapt to this incorrect posture and this leads to a chronic anterior pelvic tilt.

Other causes of anterior pelvic tilt include:
– Improper standing posture (standing with locked knees)
– Obesity
– Pregnancy

Anterior pelvic tilt is caused by a muscular imbalance in the lower region of the body that involves a pattern of weakness and tightness in the muscles in the front and back of the lower body.

This muscle imbalance causes the pelvis to rotate anteriorly, as the tightened muscles exert a stronger force compared to the weakened muscles, which moves your pelvic out of it’s neutral position into an anterior position.

In order to fix an anterior pelvic tilt, it’s important to correct the muscle imbalance by both stretching the tightened muscles and strengthening the weakened muscles. That being said, you’ll want to stretch your hip flexors and back extensors and strengthen your abdominal and gluteal muscles to help regain a neutral pelvic position.

5 Stretches To Correct Anterior Pelvic Tilt:

1. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

This stretch helps to lengthen tightened hip flexors that are often seen in individuals with anterior pelvic tilt.

How to do it:
– Begin this stretch by kneeling on a soft surface.
– Bring your right leg in front and place your foot flat on the ground so that your knee is positioned over your ankle.
– Your left knee should remain in contact with the soft surface and should be bent at 90 degrees.
– Slowly slide your right foot forward a few inches while bracing your core.
– Squeeze your right gluteal muscles and shift your hips forward.
– Your left knee should now be bent slightly more than 90 degrees.
– Hold the end position for 10 seconds.
– Aim for 10 repetitions of this stretch and perform it on both sides.

2. Child’s Pose

This stretch releases the back muscles such as Latissimus dorsi – which is usually tight during anterior pelvic tilt.

How to do it:
– Begin by positioning yourself on the floor on your hands and knees with your knees slightly wider than your hips.
– Turn your toes inwards to touch and push your hips backwards while bending your knees.
– Once you’re in a comfortable position, straighten your arms forward and allow your head to fall forwards into a relaxed position.
– Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds.
– Slowly return to the starting position.
– Aim for 3 repetitions.

3. Cat & Cow

This stretch helps to stretch out the tightened muscles in the back (Erector Spinae) that accompany anterior pelvic tilt.

How to do it:
– Begin this stretch on your hands and knees.
– Inhale and let your stomach “drop” towards the floor as you look up towards the ceiling.
– Exhale and slowly round your spine while pressing into the floor with your hands and slightly curving your neck to look at your feet.
– Aim for 5 repetitions of this stretch.

4. Warrior 2 Pose

This pose helps to strengthen the legs, and opens up the hips, including the TFL muscle.

How to do it:
– From the Five Pointed Star position, turn your right toes towards the wall on your right and bend your right knee over your right ankle.
– Turn your hips and shoulders towards the front and reach out towards the walls on your side.
– Turn and look towards your right middle finger.
– Press into your feet while keeping your legs strong.
– Sink your hips down towards the floor and reach for the top of your head to help lengthen your spine.
– Relax your shoulders down and back and press your chest forwards.
– Hold this position for up to 60 seconds.
– Slowly straighten your legs and turn your feet forwards, coming back into the 5 pointed star position.

5. Double Knee to Chest

This stretch helps to relieve tension in the lower back by stretching the muscles (Spine extensors) that are often tightened in individuals with anterior pelvic tilt.

How to do it:
– Begin by lying on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the floor.
– Position your right hand behind your right knee and slowly pull your right knee in towards your chest and then bring your left knee in towards your chest.
– Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds.
– Relax and slowly lower one leg at a time to the starting position.
– Aim for 3 repetitions of this stretch.

Now, 5 Strengthening exercises to correct it:

1. Plank

This exercise is ideal for strengthening both your abdominal and gluteal muscles.

How to do it:
Begin lying on your stomach with your forearms against the mat.
– Engage your core and lift your body so that you are resting on your forearms and toes.
– Hold the plank position for 10 seconds.
– Aim for 5 to 10 repetitions of this exercise.
– When you’re ready, increase the intensity by increasing the time you hold the plank in 10 second increments.
** Ensure to keep your back straight throughout the entire exercise.

2. Glute Bridge

This exercise helps to strengthen both your gluteals and hamstrings.

How to do it:
Begin lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet positioned flat on the floor with your arms positioned beside your torso.
– Use your heels to push into the floor while you lift your pelvis off the floor until your upper body and thighs are positioned in a straight line.
– Hold this position for 2 to 3 seconds and return slowly to the starting position.
– Aim for 10 repetitions.
**Ensure that your gluteals and abdominal muscles are tightened during the movement to maintain proper bridge form.

3. Squats

This full-body exercise helps to strengthen your gluteals, hamstrings, and quadriceps among other muscles.

How to do it:
– Begin in a standing position with your feet positioned about shoulder width apart.
– Look straight ahead and visualize that you’re about to sit in a chair.
– Keep your abdominals tightened and your back in a neutral position as you lower yourself into a sitting position with your thighs parallel to the floor.
– Push yourself back into a standing position while moving your pelvis slightly forward.
– Aim for 10 to 15 repetitions.
**Ensure that your knees don’t go past your toes during the squat movement and remember to keep your back in a neutral position during the entire movement.

4. Dead Bug

This exercise helps to increase core strength, and it also helps to improve hip and trunk stability.

How to do it:
– Begin lying on your back with your arm extended towards the ceiling.
– Bring your hips, knees, and feet to 90 degrees.
– Exhale to bring your ribcage down and try to flatten your back onto the floor by rotating your pelvis upwards and squeezing your gluteal muscles (this is the starting position for this exercise that you need to hold throughout the movement).
– Start the exercise by extending your left leg, straightening at the knee and hip and bringing the leg down to just above the floor (don’t let your lower back arch); at the same time, lower your right arm above your head to just above the floor.
– Keep your abdominal and gluteal muscles tightened and return your left leg and right arm to the starting position.
– Repeat with your right leg and left arm.
– Alternate sides for 10 repetitions.

5. Bird Dog

This is another great exercise to improve core strength and trunk stability.

How to do it:
– Begin on your hands and knees with your hands positioned under your shoulders and knees positioned under your hips.
– Raise your left arm and reach it forwards until it is aligned with your torso; at the same time, kick your right leg backwards until is it aligned with your torso.
– Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.
– Repeat with your right arm and left leg.
– Alternate sides for 10 repetitions.
** Ensure that your head, neck, and back maintain a neutral alignment to minimize stress on your neck.

In Conclusion

If you have an anterior pelvic tilt performing some simple stretching and strengthening exercises can help to correct it.

Correcting your pelvic positioning will not only aesthetically look more pleasing, it will also help to minimize any back and lower extremity pain you may be suffering from.

Check out these Anterior Pelvic Exercises:

Related:
How to fix posterior pelvic tilt
How to fix forward head posture
Herniated disc exercises
How to ease low back pain naturally
Back Intelligence Homepage

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3820203/
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2010/08000/Exercise_Strategies_to_Prevent_the_Development_of.6.aspx
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0213/288e3772f12e7673dd3f8702f6cab9d98345.pdf

Dr. Shaina McQuilkie, DC

Licensed chiropractor, DC (Owner of Forme Clinic, Stoney Creek, ON, L8G 1B9)

Dr. Shaina McQuilkie graduated from Brock University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Kinesiology (Honours). She then attended D’Youville College, in Buffalo, New York and obtained her Doctorate of Chiropractic Degree in 2008. After graduating, Dr. McQuilkie practiced in a multi-disciplinary healthcare facility based in Hamilton, Ontario gaining experience treating a variety of musculoskeletal injuries.

www.formeclinic.ca/