ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT
Anterior pelvic tilt: how to stack the pelvis again.
Anterior pelvic tilt means the front of the pelvis tips down and the lower back arches. Sitting often drives it: tight hip flexors pull the front down while the glutes and abs switch off. Stack the pelvis, belt line level: lengthen the front of the hip, wake the glutes and abs, and point the feet straight.
By Muhammed Cam, founder · Updated
Where it starts · Sitting
Sitting switched your glutes off.
This is the second leak, seen from the side. On the left the pelvis is stacked and the belt line is level. On the right, tight hip flexors tip it forward and the glutes and abs have switched off.
- Working
- Problem: tight or weak
The fix: Stack the pelvis. Glutes back on. The best athletes have big ones.
How do I know if I have anterior pelvic tilt?
Get someone to take a photo of you side-on, standing relaxed. Look at your belt line. If it tips down at the front, the lower back curves in deeply, the belly pushes forward and the backside sticks out, the pelvis is probably tipped.
A little forward tilt is normal, and everyone's shape is different. The real question is control: can you level the belt line by switching the glutes and lower abs on, and can you keep it there while you walk? If you can't find it at all, that's worth working on.
What causes anterior pelvic tilt?
In my experience, mostly sitting. The hip flexors spend hours short and get tight; the glutes and abs spend hours idle and get slow. When you stand, the tight front wins the tug of war and the pelvis tips. The guide to glutes switched off from sitting covers the back half of that tug of war.
Old injuries can add to it. A hip or hamstring injury that never fully rebuilt can leave one side tighter, so the pelvis tips and twists. The body adapts to protect the injury, and the lean stays long after the injury has healed.
Why do the feet matter for the pelvis?
The pelvis sits on the legs, and the legs sit on the feet. When the feet turn out and the arch drops, the thighs roll in and the pelvis tends to tip forward with them. When you point the feet straight, press the big toe down and lift the arch, many people feel the glutes and deep abs switch on by themselves. That's why the fix starts with duck feet, not with the pelvis.
Which exercises help stack the pelvis?
Lengthen the front, wake the back and the abs, then practise standing stacked:
- Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch: 30 seconds a side, glute squeezed, ribs down.
- Glute bridge with a two-second pause: 2 sets of 10.
- Dead bug with the lower back gently pressed to the floor: 2 sets of 8 a side.
- Standing check: feet straight, big toe down, belt line level, ribs over the pelvis. Hold it for ten breaths, a few times a day.
If your lower back aches by the end of a working day, the lower back pain from sitting guide has desk resets that fit around work.
A 60-second self-test
Feel it now
- 1Stand barefoot, feet hip-width apart, both pointing straight ahead.
- 2Press the big toe down without curling it, and lift the arch.
- 3Soften the knees and keep each one over the second toe.
- 4Close your eyes and hold it for 30 seconds.
What pulls is tight. Stretch it.
What shakes or can’t hold is weak. Strengthen it.
On this page, notice
- With the feet straight and the arches lifted, does the belt line level out on its own?
- Notice which pulls more: the front of the hips (tight) or the glutes and abs struggling to hold (weak).
The app · coming soon
Not sure which leak is yours?
The From the Feet Up app is a posture and movement scan for iPhone. Six standing photos, a squat, a lunge, a reach and a short walk, about five minutes. It reads five areas from the feet up and tells you what to fix first. Free for now.
Your photos are sent once for the read, never kept on our servers, and saved only on your phone.
Hear first when it launches.
Common questions
Can anterior pelvic tilt be fixed?
Posture habits can often change with consistent work. Bone shape won't, and a little forward tilt is normal. The aim is control: being able to stack the pelvis and keep it there while you move.
Does anterior pelvic tilt cause back pain?
It can contribute to an aching lower back for some people, because the back arches and works harder. Plenty of people with a tilt have no pain, so treat it as one clue rather than the whole story.
How long does it take to correct anterior pelvic tilt?
Many people feel a difference in a few weeks of daily work. Making the new position automatic usually takes months, especially if you still sit a lot.
Is stretching enough for anterior pelvic tilt?
Usually not. Stretching the hip flexors helps, but the glutes and abs also need to get stronger, and the feet need to give the pelvis a level base.
Can anterior pelvic tilt make my stomach stick out?
It can make the belly look further forward, because the pelvis tips and the lower back curves in. Levelling the pelvis often changes how the stomach looks side-on.
Educational, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Sharp, severe, numb or worsening pain needs a qualified professional.