How to correct a backward tilt of the pelvis

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Tilting the pelvis back often occurs due to long sitting and entails pain, tension and various diseases of the spine. A detailed exercise guide will help you correct this posture disorder.

Why is this a problem

The condition of your lower back depends on the tilt of the pelvis. When the pelvis is in a neutral position, the back maintains normal physiological curves, when the pelvis is tilted forward, an excessive deflection is created in the lower back, and when the pelvis is tilted back, the lower back becomes flat.

For back health, all physiological curves of the spine are necessary, and if one of them disappears, this negatively affects all parts, including the thoracic and cervical.

A flat lower back worsens shock absorption, so that the load on the spine can result in painful sensations, protrusion and hernia, a problem with nerve roots, stiffness and pain in the muscles.

Why does the pelvis tilt back

The main reasons for this disorder are long time spent sitting and improper body posture.

If you keep the wrong position for 6-8 hours every day, your body will adapt to this. As a result, some muscles become too stiff and others too stretched and weak.

Stiff muscles pull the pelvis behind them and tilt it back, and not only when you are sitting, but also when you get up, walk or squat.

How to tell if you have a backward tilt of the pelvis

Two-finger test

Stand up straight with one finger on the protruding pelvic bone in front and the other on the pelvic bone in the back. If your pelvis is tilted back, the finger on the anterior pelvic bone will be significantly higher than the finger on the back.

Movement test

Stand in front of a mirror or ask your partner to take a photo of you to evaluate your posture from the side. Lean forward, do a squat, or just sit in a chair.

If this rounds your lower back, it could be because your pelvis tilts back.

Wall test

Sit next to a wall, press your back against it and stretch your legs forward. If you can't straighten your legs without twisting your lumbar spine, you have a backward tilt of your pelvis.

How to correct a backward tilt of the pelvis

Posture correction requires complex measures. We will show you how to stretch and relax hard muscles, how to activate and strengthen weak muscles, open your hips and find the correct sitting position.

Stretching and relaxing

1. Stretching the hamstrings

• Stand up straight with your hands on your hips.
• Put your leg forward: either straight or slightly bent at the knee.
• Lean forward with your back straight.
• Hold the position for 60 seconds and repeat on the other leg.

If during stretching you bend your knee, the upper part of the hamstring is stretched, if you fully straighten the leg, the lower part.

2. Stretching the gluteal muscles

• Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor.
• Place your right ankle on your left knee.
• Grasp your right knee and pull it closer to your chest.
• Feel the stretch in the right gluteus muscle.
• Arch your back slightly to increase the stretch.
• Hold the position for 60 seconds on each side.

3. Stretching the rectus abdominis muscle

Stretching on the abdomen

If you have problems with the lower back, you should not do this exercise, move on to the next one.

• Lie on your stomach, place your hands on the floor under your shoulders, and straighten your elbows.
• Arch your back.
• Feel the abdominal muscles stretch.
• You can rotate the body slightly from side to side to improve the stretch.
• Use diaphragmatic breathing during exercise.
• Hold the position for 60 seconds.

Standing stretch

This exercise is safer for the lower back.

• Stand up straight, raise your arms and put your palms together.
• Tighten the gluteal muscles and hold the tension until the end of the exercise: this will protect the lower back from excessive bending.
• Bend in the chest and bring your arms back as far as possible.
• Smoothly return to starting position and repeat five times.

Rolling on a massage roller

1. Hip biceps

• Place a massage roller or ball under the back of the thigh of one leg, with the other on top to increase the pressure.
• Place your body weight on a roller or ball and slowly roll your hip from knee to pelvis.
• Perform for 60 seconds, then switch legs.

2. The gluteal muscles

• Sit on a massage ball or roller, press it to the floor with your body weight.
• Place the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other.
• Roll out the muscle for 60 seconds.
• Change sides and repeat.

Muscle activation

To return the pelvis to a neutral position, it is necessary to activate the weak "dormant" muscles, which must pull the pelvis forward.

1. Raising the knees while sitting

This exercise activates the hip flexor muscles.

• Sit on a chair or fitness ball with your back straight.
• Raise one knee.
• Hold it for five seconds.
• Lower and repeat on the other leg.
• Do 30 reps on each leg.

To make the exercise more difficult, you can use an expander.

2. "Superman"

This exercise will help activate the muscles in your lower back.

• Lie on your stomach.
• Stretch your arms out in front of you.
• Lift your upper body and legs.
• Hold the position for 5-10 seconds.
• Repeat 30 times.

Strengthening muscles

1. Exercise with back arch

• Get on all fours.
• Bend your back so that the pelvis twists forward.
• Hold the position for 10 seconds.
• Return to neutral position.
• Repeat 30 times.

2. Exercise with a back bend while sitting

• Sit on a chair or fitness ball with your back straight.
• Bend your back in the lower back and twist the pelvis forward.
• Hold the position for 10 seconds, then relax and repeat again.
• Do the exercise 30 times.

This exercise can be done with or without an expander.

3. Stretching the core muscles

• Get on all fours with your pelvis in a neutral position.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Maintaining a natural arch in the lower back, try to bring your knee to your chest. Stop the movement as soon as the lower back begins to round.
• Hold this position for 5 seconds, then lower your leg.
• Repeat 20 times and repeat on the other leg.

Hip opening

Tight hips make it difficult to maintain a neutral pelvic position. Therefore, if you do not have enough hip mobility, you need to develop it.

1. Stretching the hips

• Get on all fours.
• Place your right ankle behind your left knee, as shown in the photo.
• Maintain a natural backbend throughout the exercise.
• Pull your pelvis back, stretching your hip.
• Hold the position for 20 seconds and then relax.
• Repeat five times.

2. Mobilization of joints

• Place the loop of the expander over your thigh, closer to your pelvis.
• Hook the other end onto a stable object.
• Lie on your back away from the subject to create resistance.
• Bring your knee to your chest, hold for 60 seconds, then switch legs and repeat.
• Do it 10 times with each leg.

3. Butterfly stretch

• Sit on the floor next to a wall with your back to it.
• Connect your feet and unfold your knees.
• Hold the position for 30 seconds.
• Repeat three times.

Do these exercises every day. Some of them can be done right at the workplace, others - as soon as you come home.

That's all. Exercise, maintain the correct posture while sitting and get up more often, and you will correct your posture and prevent pain and discomfort.