What is a Pelvic Tilt?

Welcome to my blog! So, today I am going to talk about
what I found out about myself that I thought was very interesting and I wish I
would have known years ago! It is called an Anterior Forward Pelvic Tilt. It is
due to sitting for long periods of time or just sitting in general over the
years. So, I’m going to explain what it is and how to fix it. Yes, it can be
fixed, it’s just going to take a while. Let’s just dive right in and learn how
to fix this problem.  

            So, according to Baptist Health.com,
Anterior pelvic tilt affects about 75% of women and 85% of men. Ok so now I don’t
feel so bad but listen up and keep reading my friend. The reason is that this
is due to slumping on your couch or sitting in an uncomfortable office chair or
any chair in general for hours on end. This will cause your pelvic muscles to
adjust to these positions which in return cause the pelvic to rotate forward.
The adapted muscles can alter your range of motion. As seen in the picture
above.

What is a Pelvic Tilt?

           The pelvis region
distributes the weight to your lower limbs, enabling movement while helping
hold the abdominal organs in place. Ideally, (in a perfect world) your pelvis
should remain in a neutral position when resting. You can develop a pelvic tilt
when the pelvic muscles get overstretched or underworked, causing them to pull
in one direction. There are two common types of pelvic tilts, either anterior
or posterior (front or back).  

Affects on Your Health  

            Both
anterior (forward) and posterior (backwards) tilts can negatively impact your
health. “Nearby muscles will adapt to accommodate the pelvic postural
deficiency in a process called reciprocal inhibition. These changes can cause a
domino effect of postural abnormalities and related health problems”  https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-pelvic-tilt

          These
problems include back pain, overstretched hamstrings, stomach bulge, improper
posture, as well as leading to potential injuries. Webmd goes on to explain
that the causes could be a sedentary life style, too much time spent in a
seated position, and poor posture just to name a few. There are several
symptoms of pelvic tilt that you may not be aware of such as;

Lower back pain, pain in the groin area, damage to the
ball of the femoral socket, inflammation of the lower joints such as in the
butt, groin, thighs, and upper back.

How to Fix Pelvic Tilt

            Pelvic
tilt exercises can improve muscle strength and return your pelvis to a neutral
position. Many of the exercises require an inexpensive foam roller to help
stretch the muscles.

Exercises

Floor cobra. This muscle
strengthens the muscles in your back. To perform these exercises, lie face down
on a comfortable surface with your toes pointed and your face elevated from the
mat. Then lift your arms off the ground and squeeze your glutes.

Foam roll. These
exercises can be performed by sitting on the ground with a foam roller tucked
under your glutes. Begin by slowly rolling back until the foam roller is under
your knee to stretch your hamstrings. Hold the position for 30 seconds to 2
minutes as the muscle relaxes.    

Foam roll hip flexors. These
are great if you have an anterior pelvic tilt. Perform these by lying face down
and position your foam roller under your quad muscles. Move your body forward
so that the roller moves up to your hips. Hold your pose for 30 seconds to 2
minutes when you feel tension in your hips. 

Hip flexors stretch. These
are good as well. Perform these exercises by kneeling and bend one leg in front
of you at a 90° angle. Tuck your hips under your body to stretch the front of
your hip. For a more intense stretch, tuck the toes of your back foot. Switch
to the other side after 30 seconds to 1 minute.

By regularly performing
these exercises in addition to reducing the time that you spend sitting can
help you keep your pelvis aligned. Addressing pelvic tilt can improve your
overall posture and prevent injuries.

In conclusion, I hope you
have found this as interesting as myself. For years I thought I had tight
hamstrings and just needed to stretch them and perform squats to strengthen my glutes
but come to find out there was not the brain-muscle communication to engage my
muscles properly. Some doctors and researchers call it gluteal amnesia. So now
I know, and I will be doing some of these exercises along with others to strengthen
my glutes and improve my posture. I will keep you all informed of my progress
and my squat improvements.  

Until next time,

Take care,

Darren