Introduction
Have you ever had that aching pain in your low back? Or that sharp pain in your back when you bend over or get out of bed? It sucks. It kills your progress in the gym and decreases your quality of life outside of it.
A cause of low back pain may be due to an Anterior Pelvic Tilt.
What is Anterior Pelvic Tilt?
Anterior pelvic tilt can be broken down into the following.
Anterior = front/forward
Pelvic = pelvis bone (hip bone)
Tilt = rotation
It refers to a posture that occurs when the front of the pelvis rotates forward and downward, and the back of the pelvis rises up.
Typically, you can observe this with the following:
- Glutes (butt) sticking out
- Lower back arched
- Stomach protruding
Why is Anterior Pelvic tilt bad?
Everyone has some degree of anterior pelvic tilt. Everyone also has some degree of low back arch. This occurs in a neutral position of the spine and hips.
The problem is when this becomes excessive, especially when squatting or lifting. This can lead to:
- Lumbar (low back) muscles getting short and tight
- Excess load being placed on the vertebrae of your spine
- Disc degeneration
- Sciatica
Standing Posture Quick Fixes
The goal is to no longer use the joints in your knees, and low back for stability. By activating your muscles, you will decrease load on the knees and low back and hopefully decrease future low back symptoms.
- Stand with feet facing forward, or slightly toeing out
- Soft knees (knees are straight, just not locked out)
- Squeeze glutes (butt muscles)
- Turn on your abdominals like someone is going to whack you in the belly (same feeling when you’re about to cough)