Looking for a Better Position? Don’t Just Focus on Your Upper Body. Give Your Pelvis Love With These 3 Exercises

In fact, the position of your pelvis can affect the alignment of your entire body. “And while someone may be trying to correct their ‘up’ position,” pelvic tilt is often part of the problem for back and neck problems,” says Judith Meer, PT, DPT , pelvic therapist and founder of The Pelvic PT.

Below, we’ll dive into how your pelvis affects your posture and some common things to look for. In addition, Dr. Meer shares how you can build a healthy back from the ground up.

If you want good spinal alignment, move your pelvis forward

First, let’s review the basics of anatomy. Your spine consists of three parts: the cervical spine (top), the thoracic (middle), and the lumbar spine (bottom), according to the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS).

Each part of the spine depends on the strength and stability of the others to function properly. When viewed from the other side, the spine is “healthy” in the shape of an “S” – the upper spine curves inward, the middle curve outwards, and the lower spines inward – which help reduce stress on the vertebrae, by UMMS.

Related Stories

The sacrum, a large bony structure that looks like a shield, connects the lower back to the pelvis. Dr. “The pelvis acts as the base of the spine, so its position completely affects your posture,” says Meer. For example, you will notice this when you bend your tailbone under you when you place it behind you. Both of these ‘legs’ change the alignment of the spine.”

“Although someone may be trying to correct their ‘upside down’ position,” pelvic tilt is often part of the game for back and neck problems. —Judith Meer, PT, DPT

Pelvic tilt and your posture

Interestingly, anterior pelvic tilt (where the pelvis tilts forward) is very common. About 85 percent of people are assigned male at birth (AMAB) and 75 percent of people are assigned female at birth (AFAB) anterior pelvic tilt¹ without symptoms.

Dr. “Anterior pelvic tilt can create an excessive curve in the lower back, which pushes the abdomen forward—what we call lumbar lordosis,” says Dr. Meer. Meer says. “This puts more stress on the lower back, back, hip flexors, hamstrings and glutes.”

It becomes more difficult to stand up straight without strong, jointed muscles to support you, so other muscle groups will try to compensate in order to hold you up, Dr. Meer says. In particular, you would feel it in your upper back, shoulders and neck. Overactive muscles become tight and lead to serious issues, such as rounded shoulders and forward head posture.

And although it’s a rare abnormality, posterior pelvic tilt (where the pelvis tilts backward) still affects many people—6 percent of people in AMAB and 4 percent of people in AFAB. posterior pelvic tilt not seen¹.

Dr. “A posterior pelvic tilt can flatten the natural curve of your lower back, which puts more pressure on the discs and ligaments, leading to tension and muscle pain,” Dr. Meer says. “From there, I also see tightness in the glutes and hamstrings, weak flexors and extreme stretch, and weakness in the hips.”

Interestingly, posterior pelvic tilts can also lead to excessive curvature of the spine (thoracic) and head-first position, according to a small 2021 study in. Journal of Physical Therapy Science.

In other words, if your pelvis is tilted, you’re probably slouching.

How to tell if your pelvis is tilted

If you think you may have an anterior (forward) pelvic tilt, try this test from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM):

Place the belt around your waist and stand as you normally would while looking at yourself in the mirror from the side with the belt around your waist. If the belt buckle is below the back of the belt when you look at yourself from the side, you have an anterior pelvic tilt. In a squat, your lower back is at the bottom of the squat.

If you suspect you have a posterior pelvic tilt, try this exercise from the NASM:

Place the belt around your waist and stand as you normally would while looking at yourself in the mirror from the side with the belt around your waist. With a posterior pelvic tilt, your waistline will be higher than the waistline when viewed from the side so that you can see both at the same time. While squatting, you can see the posterior pelvic girdle if the lower girdle is under the range of motion. This is commonly known as the “butt wink”.

Build good posture from the pelvis up

“The concept of ‘kinetic chain’ actually means that the movement or adaptation of one part of the body affects the rest,” Dr. Meer says. “Working on pelvic motion and strength can help you see improvements throughout the entire kinetic chain.”

According to Dr. Meer, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to build a good situation from the ground up:

1. Check your feet. Dr. “Also, the body acts as a kinetic chain,” says Dr. Meer. “If the feet aren’t working properly, they can lead to compensatory movements in the ankles, knees, hips, pelvis and ultimately the spine.” .”
2. Build a strong and balanced foundation. Dr. “It’s not just the abdominal muscles but the rest of the back, hips and pelvic muscles,” says Meer. “A strong core supports the pelvis and spine, reducing the risk of misalignment, pain, limited mobility, and poor posture.”
3. Be careful when using technology. “There’s a reason we call it ‘tech neck’ or ‘the smartphone slump,’ Dr. Meer says. “If you find yourself reaching for your phone, hold it up a few inches, or adjust the height of your monitor or laptop.”

“The pelvis acts as the base of the spine, so its position affects your posture completely.” —Judith Meer, PT, DPT

3 pelvic exercises for good posture

Below, Dr. Meer shares three of his favorite pelvic exercises to help you build a stable, strong core for your spine, demonstrated by physical therapist Grayson Wickham, PT, DPT.

1. Pelvic tilt

Dr. “Pelvic tilts help you maintain your pelvic position, and they gently work your lower body and lumbar spine mobility,” says Meer.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Slowly tilt your pelvis up, flattening your lower back toward the floor.
3. Wait a moment.
4. Then tilt your pelvis to the other side, lowering your lower back off the floor.
5. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

2. Glute Bridge

Glute bridges are a great exercise to stabilize the pelvis because they strengthen the supporting muscles.

Dr. “Bridges work the glutes, hamstrings and lower back muscles, which are key to maintaining pelvic strength and alignment,” says Meer. And I love that there are so many ways to make this harder, like doing it with your feet on uneven ground, or lifting your toes and digging your heels in, or doing leg bridges and one.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms down by your sides.
2. Press through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the floor, creating a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
3. Wait a moment.
4. Return down to the starting position.
5. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

3. Bird dog

A strong core is key for a stable pelvis and good back posture. Dr. “This organization works on core stability, balance, and coordination,” says Meer. As with bridges, you can make this more difficult by being in an unstable position, lifting an arm and leg for a long time or adding weight.

1. Start on your hands and knees in a table position.
2. Extend your left arm forward and right leg back, keeping your hips flat on the floor.
3. Hold a few breaths, then return to the starting position and switch sides.
4. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.