What Is Anterior Pelvic Tilt?
“Anterior pelvic tilt” is a condition of the spine that causes your pelvis to tilt slightly forward. Obviously, it is not a good thing for any part of the body to be aligned incorrectly. This may not be a catastrophic problem, but it will undoubtedly cause you some health problems over time. In this article, we will discuss this condition, examine its causes, and give you some solutions for this very common problem.
How Can You Identify This Problem?
Right now, you might be wondering if you have an anterior pelvic tilt. The chances are pretty good that you do. Although you can look in a mirror, there is a question of how tilted your waistline can be before it presents a problem. It is a fact that some people are born with a deeper lumbar curve which causes their pelvis to dip forward. For those who were born this way, it probably doesn’t represent a problem. Unfortunately, this factor makes it more difficult to identify those with a legitimate problem.
According to this particular study, anterior pelvic tilt is a problem that affects the majority of males and females. 85% of males and 75% of females in this study showed at least some degree of tilt in their pelvis. Some people say that this problem is more common in women than it is in men, but this study would seem to disprove that idea.
Those with an anterior pelvic tilt will have a reduced range of motion, especially in the back. These people will also tend to look as if they have a large gut even if they have very little body fat. And of course, the lower curve of their back will be much more profound than what is considered normal. Here’s a simple test: Stand normally with a string held in both hands. Let your arms relax and hang. The line of the string should be parallel with the ground. If not, your pelvis is probably tilted.
Causes Of Anterior Pelvic Tilt:
No one knows precisely why anterior pelvic tilt has become such a common problem in the modern world. However, a few good theories have been presented. The most common theory is the idea that our increasingly sedentary lifestyles are causing our bodies to adapt in ways that are not as well-suited for active people.
In short, the human race is de-evolving as a result of spending most of its time hunched over in a chair. According to science, it took billions of years for humankind to walk erect, but it takes less than 20 years for that progress to be undone. This is an ugly truth, but it’s a good reason to be more active.
Of course, sitting in a chair does not have to cause this problem. You can certainly spend a lot of time sitting in a chair without developing an anterior pelvic tilt. You just have to make sure that you sit up straight and keep your spine more or less in line with your pelvis. Many people find this to be more comfortable anyway. Unfortunately, most people tend to hunch forward, which is why their spine eventually tends to curve forward. This causes the lower arch of the back to be drawn in, causing your buttocks to protrude backward as your hips protrude forward.
Can You Correct Anterior Pelvic Tilt?
Thankfully, this problem can be corrected. Anyone with this problem needs to use the methods prescribed below to fix their problem before it becomes worse. After all, it took a long time for us to obtain a straight back. Also, for those who may be skeptical, these exercises have been proven to be effective. In this study, a single patient with a strong anterior tilt was given a program of corrective exercises. After two weeks, his pelvic tilt was back to normal, and his range of motion had returned.
5 Exercises To Correct Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Many exercises can correct this problem, but here are our five favorites.
1. Reverse Leg Raises
These are just like standard leg raises, except that the leg is raised behind the back. You can lay down on your stomach and lift the legs upward one at a time, or you can stand in place to kick your leg back and upward. Either way, it pulls the spine in the right direction to correct pelvic tilt.
2. Clamshell Leg Raises
This exercise is a leg raise variation which may look a little strange, but which will help you with your problem. It helps by strengthening the hip muscles and forcing them to align correctly.
3. Adduction Leg Raises
Yes, this is another leg raise variation, but it is a strange one indeed. You put one leg over the other before raising the bottom leg. It is crucial to support your head properly in order to maintain proper body alignment.
4. Squats
When performed correctly, the squat produces excellent improvements in the strength of the hips and legs. These are exactly the muscles that will correct your skewed waistline. One good thing about squats is that there are many ways to do them, and all of them should help to pull your spine back in the right direction when done properly.
5. Planking
The plank is a perfect exercise for this purpose, because of the way it works. We are trying to restore proper body alignment, and the plank will force you to do that. Keeping the body straight is the entire purpose of the exercise, and it tends to hurt when you cannot do so.
Conclusion
In case you didn’t notice, all of these corrective exercises work on strengthening the hips and legs. This is exactly what is needed for those with an anterior pelvic tilt. We also see a lot of exercises which are intended to pull the spine backward, forcing it to adapt in the desired fashion. We hope that with this information you will be able to correct this problem and that you will follow us on Facebook for more helpful articles like this one.
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