Anterior Pelvic Tilt, Explained: How the Angle of Your Hips Can Throw Your Entire Body Out of Alignment
Most of us have been sitting around a bit more over the past year than usual—we don't have to tell you why. It's no secret that it might be taking a toll on your body. No, not the potential extra pounds. Rather, your posture.
By now, you’re probably cognizant of any couch-induced hunchback tendencies. But what we’re unpacking today is more below the belt: the menace of anterior pelvic tilt. To envision this, think of yourself wearing a pair of shorts. When anterior pelvic tilt (also referred to as hyperlordosis) is at its worst and most pronounced, the waistline of the shorts would be diagonal to the floor with the front side angled down, rather than neutral.
“So many more people are sitting all day, and because of this their hip flexors are super super tight since they’re spending a majority of time in a shortened position,” says Kristen Lettenberger, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments. “This could result in your abdominals being deactivated as well as your hamstrings and glutes not functioning correctly.”
Sounds bad, right? Anterior pelvic tilt can lead to a slew of issues, ranging from a pain in the lower back—known as the lumbar spine—and poor performance in the gym. As one can surely imagine, doing everyday activities like running or weight lifting with your booty sticking out can lead to a higher risk for knee wonkiness going forward, too.
GQ caught up with a physical therapist who helps us decipher what’s really going on and how to readjust your posture for more comfortable (and more aligned) days ahead.
1. Get aware.
The first thing to take note of us most guys won’t know that an anterior pelvic tilt is the cause of the discomfort in their back or why their knees could ache doing movement. To get familiar with your own body, Lettenberger recommends you stand up straight and think of your standing torso as a clock, with your belly button being 12 o’clock and your toes being 6 o’clock. Check in with yourself and your posture—maybe look in a full-length mirror—and ask yourself where your hips currently sit. This familiarity and spatial awareness in itself is a great benchmark for where you’re starting off, and could help you should you choose to talk about your current alignment sitch with an expert like a physical therapist.
2. Work on getting stronger.
Strength training is really going to be the game changer here, as taking the time to strengthen your hamstrings, glutes, and abdominals can help pull you out of a chronic anterior pelvic tilt. Some of the best moves that Lettenberger recommends are the dead bug (think abs) and a basic hip hinge (think glutes and hamstrings) like a “good morning" lift.
3. Move more regularly
Any wearable typically prompts a user to move around for a bit if they’ve been growing roots in one spot for a while. There’s good reason to that. “You never want to be in any position for too long,” says Lettenberger. “So, if you have to set yourself a timer for an hour, set a timer for an hour. I even tell patients who are in regular pain or discomfort to move around every 30 minutes or so.”
4. Add in a little extra TLC
There are plenty of tools on the market to help you recover better and stave off discomfort caused by iffy posture. Lettenberger recommends using a percussive device (think Theragun) to help loosen up tight hip flexors and wake up critical muscle groups before strength work. She also recommends kinesiology tape. The sticky body-friendly adhesive can help your body get into better positioning for longer periods of time while you work on the skills and strength. Aim for two vertical strips about two inches apart centered on the lumbar spine to help get the body into alignment (Lettenberger recommends checking in with an expert to make sure you’re doing it right).
And remember, while tools like foam rollers and massage guns may make everything feel better, the only way to fix an ailment in the long run like anterior pelvic tilt is to relearn the biomechanics and put in the strength.
Looking taller and more more confident is just the start.
Originally Appeared on GQ
