One of the most valuable lessons I have learned during my time as a fitness professional is the pelvic tilt. Pelvic tilt refers to the orientation of the pelvis with respect to the rest of the body. The pelvis can tilt towards the front, back, or either side of the body. What we want to strive for at all times is a neutral, or level, pelvic position. When we fall out of a neutral pelvic position, we begin to create muscle imbalances and faulty movement patterns.

 

 

A useful analogy to help understand this concept is to visualize the pelvis as a bowl. When our pelvic bowl is tilted towards the front of our body, we are in what is referred to as an anterior pelvic tilt. In this scenario, the contents of our bowl spills out in front of us. When our pelvic bowl is tilted towards the back of our body, we are in what is referred to as a posterior pelvic tilt. In this scenario, the contents of our bowl spills out behind us. A neutral pelvic position will safely house the contents of the bowl by remaining level.

There are specific muscle imbalances that contribute to an anterior pelvic tilt. An anterior pelvic tilt may typically indicate short and tight lumbar extensor and hip flexor muscles, in addition to long and weak hamstring and abdominal muscles. An appropriate exercise program for those in this position would be to stretch, or lengthen, their lumbar extensor and hip flexor muscles, while simultaneously strengthening, or shortening, their hamstring and abdominal muscles.

Similarly, there are specific muscle imbalances that contribute to a posterior pelvic tilt. A posterior pelvic tilt may typically indicate short and tight hamstring and abdominal muscles, in addition to long and weak lumbar extensor and hip flexor muscles. An appropriate exercise program for those in this position would be to stretch, or lengthen, their hamstring and abdominal muscles, while simultaneously strengthening, or shortening, their lumbar extensor and hip flexor muscles.

 

It is crucial to remain mindful about maintaining a neutral pelvic position at all times: when we are sitting, standing, walking, running, squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, planking, and stretching.

Finding your neutral pelvic position is a trial and error process that can take time to understand. One benefit of working with a trained fitness professional is that we can help you identify any inefficiencies, such as an inappropriate pelvic tilt, quickly and begin taking steps to correct those inefficiencies.