Pelvic tilt exercises can help remedy poor posture by strengthening the muscles of your lower back and abdomen. In addition, they also teach your pelvis to support your spine, which helps to improve your posture. You can incorporate pelvic tilt exercises into your workout routine or do them whenever you notice your posture sagging.
Stability Ball Pelvic Tilt
Hold a 5- or 10-pound medicine ball. Lie on an exercise ball, pressing your head and back into the ball. Keep your feet together on the floor and place the medicine ball on your chest. Contract your abdominals and crunch upward, lifting your shoulders and head off the ball. Lift the medicine ball up toward the ceiling. Relax back into the starting position. Do up to 15 repetitions, resting for about 30 seconds between reps.
Traditional Pelvic Tilt
Lie on the floor with your knees bent up toward the ceiling and your arms extended out to your sides. Exhale and contract your abdominal muscles and flatten your back into the ground. Inhale and tilt your pelvis upward slightly, keeping your lower back on the floor. Hold the exercise for about 10 seconds and then slowly lower yourself back to the floor. Repeat for as many repetitions as desired.
Standing Pelvic Tilt Exercise
Stand with your feet about waist-distance apart. Bend your knees a bit, keeping them soft and loose. Position your thumbs on the lower part of your ribs and your fingers on your hips. Tilt your pelvis forward and backward a couple of times. Push your tailbone forward so your hips are under the lower part of your ribs. Hold the exercise for at least five seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat about three more times.
Angry Cat
Position yourself on your hands and knees with your arms shoulder-width apart. Keep your elbows straight, but not locked. Place your knees waist-width apart. Inhale and contract your abdominal muscles. Arch your back like a cat and tuck your buttocks under yourself. Hold for a few seconds and then exhale and return to the starting position. Repeat as desired, trying to arch with the rhythm of each breath.
References
- Baby Center; Four Exercises to Ease Aches and Help With Labor; November 2006
- American Council on Exercise: Supine Pelvic Tilts
- "Women's Health" magazine; Stability Ball Pelvic Tilt Crunch; March 2011
- Mayo Clinic: Pelvic Tilt Exercise
- BodyBuilding: Standing Pelvic Tilt
- Better Homes and Gardens: 3 Exercises to Improve Your Posture
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