How to Fix Anterior Pelvic Tilt with Exercises
By Yana Blinova, MS, Inventor of Pelvic Clock® Exercise Device, Former Olympic Coach
Anterior Pelvic Tilt (APT)
Poor posture is a widespread epidemic of our time. Sitting in chairs for most of the day combined with a lack of exercise can lead to a variety of postural disorders.
One such ailment is called anterior pelvic tilt (APT).
You can determine if you have anterior pelvic tilt by looking for signs like:
Abnormal inward curvature of the lumbar spine
Forward rotation of the pelvis and hips
Tight hip flexor muscles
Turned out “duck feet”
A deteriorating ability to walk
Why Should You Care About APT?
Excessive anterior pelvic tilt leads to lower back pain. This pain is exacerbated if you put extra pressure on your lumbar spine, such as during a pregnancy or by participating in activities like:
Weightlifting
Running
Baseball
Golf
It is important to correct your anterior pelvic tilt before you try to get pregnant or start practicing any of the above sports.
There is some good news: a simple pelvic tilt exercise can prevent lower back pain caused by excessive anterior pelvic tilt. However, it only works when you practice the anterior pelvic tilt exercise on a daily basis.
THE SINGLE BEST EXERCISE FOR APT CORRECTION
Several exercises can help with APT, but only one stands out as the best. This anterior pelvic tilt exercise works by correcting your posture and helping you maintain a “neutral pelvis” position. It works like this:
As you exhale, tilt your pelvis back in the direction of your head. Hold this posterior pelvic tilt position for 5 seconds.
As you inhale, tilt your pelvis forward.
Repeat 10 times every day!
You can perform this corrective pelvic exercise in a variety of positions, including:
Lying in a supine position on the floor or your bed
Leaning against a wall
Sitting on a chair or exercise ball
In other words, you can always fit the anterior pelvic tilt exercise into your routine, no matter where you are.
WHY THE CORRECTIVE EXERCISE FOR ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT WORKS
With excessive APT, your pelvis is tilted forward.
The corrective exercise moves your spine backward, toward a posterior pelvic tilt. This puts you into a neutral spine position. By practicing the anterior pelvic tilt exercise every day, it will begin to feel natural to have your spine in a neutral position and your posture will improve. Be sure to keep practicing until you no longer have any symptoms of APT — and if the symptoms return, start your exercise regimen once again.
You can make any pelvic exercises more effective by using the Pelvic Clock®. This exercise device is specially designed to increase the range of motion in your lumbar spine without exceeding safe limits. See faster, better results by practicing the anterior pelvic tilt exercise with a Pelvic Clock®.