Anterior pelvic tilt is relatively easy to recognize. It’s characteristic signs are:

  • A pronounced or exaggerated curve in the low back
  • A bulging abdomen (even if you aren’t overweight

When it’s most pronounced, your shorts waistline will be diagonal to the floor, with the front angled downward, rather than horizontal.

The clear indicators of anterior pelvic tilt are quadriceps, hip flexor and low-back being over active and trouble activating your gluteal and abdominal muscles.
Prolonged sitting, such as someone who works in an office, means your hip flexor muscles spend most of the day in a shortened position. Your glutes are inactive because you’re sitting on them, and your spinal extensor muscles fire constantly to keep your torso from falling over.

If you work out regularly, but also have a job that keeps you chained to a desk much of the day, combined with a lengthy commute, all the problems created by sitting affect how you exercise. If your glutes and hamstrings don’t fire properly, the lumbar extensors can take too large of a role to compensate when you are doing squats and hip extension exercises. The movement feels “correct” to you, because that’s what your body recognizes as “normal”, but over time and with heavier loads, you can end up with injuries.

One of the first steps to recovery is to master the pelvic tilt

Many people with pelvic tilt issues often have no idea how to posteriorly tilt their pelvis. Learning that movement is the first step. “Squeeze the glutes” and “tighten the abs” are an excellent cue for the standing pelvic tilt, as contracting the glutes and abs will make the posterior tilt feel more natural and help you to recognize how to “turn them on”.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

ARC Health & Wellness offers patients in Toronto exceptional care with a personalized treatment plan to suit your specific needs. If you are suffering from pain or have recently experienced an injury, our Toronto Chiropractor will ensure you get back to the activities you enjoy and love. Call us at (647) 504-4213 for an appointment today or use our online booking tool here to book a consultation.