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Pelvic tilts are subtle spinal movements that strengthen the support muscles around the lower back, particularly the abdominals. The exercise provides a light back massage and is a preliminary exercise for lower back pain relief.

How to Do a Pelvic Tilt

Perform pelvic tilts lying on the floor (supine pelvic tilts), standing with your back to a wall, on all fours, or seated on an exercise ball. All of these pelvic tilt variations help strengthen your core muscles. The supine pelvic tilt is appropriate for most people, including those postpartum. Lie on a firm bed, exercise mat, or floor to perform pelvic tilts.

Performing the pelvic tilt against a flat surface takes the natural curve out of your lower back. It can help to visualize your pelvis as a bowl of water. When you tilt your pelvis, imagine water spilling toward your belly.

Follow these steps to perform a pelvic tilt:

1. Lie on your back with bent knees and the soles of your feet on the floor. In this neutral position, the natural curve of your lumbar spine will lift the lower back slightly off the floor.
2. Exhale and gently rock your hips toward your head. As you do this, you'll feel your lower back pressing into the floor.
3. Stay here for a few breaths. When you're ready, inhale and return to your neutral position.
4. Do 5 to 10 reps.

Pelvic Tilt Common Mistakes

Forgetting to Breathe

Focusing on proper form and effectively engaging your core won't be enough if you forget to breathe. In any exercise, breathing is important to stay focused and integral in preventing injury. Your muscles need oxygen to perform optimally.

Using Your Core Incorrectly

When you engage your abdominals, don't push your belly out or suck it in as you perform pelvic tilts. You'll feel deeper muscles (transverse abdominis) working once you fully engage your core.

Lifting Your Pelvis

If you let your buttocks come up off the floor as your pelvis tilts, you're moving more into a bridge position rather than a pelvic tilt. You also may end up rolling your pelvis in the wrong direction (toward your feet rather than your head).

Pelvic Tilt Modifications and Variations

There are many ways to perform pelvic tilts. Depending on your fitness goals and comfort level, try them all until you find the one that works best.

If you're pregnant or have a condition that makes it uncomfortable to lie on your back, the standing version of the pelvic tilt may be more comfortable for you. Follow these step-by-step instructions to perform this pelvic tilt variation:

1. Place your back against a sturdy wall and lean slightly toward it.
2. Inhale and allow your knees to bend slightly.
3. Exhale as you lift your pelvis away from the wall toward your face. This should straighten the natural curve of your lower back such that it presses against the wall.
4. Inhale and return to your neutral starting position.
5. Do 5 to 10 reps.

If you have back or shoulder pain, you may be able to ease the discomfort by placing a small ball between your back and the wall as you do this move.

Up for a Challenge?

As your fitness level increases, keep pelvic tilts interesting and effective by trying more challenging variations, including:

Kneeling Pelvic Tilts

Perform this pelvic tilt on a padded surface, using this variation only if you are free of knee and wrist pain.

1. Start on all fours with your wrists aligned under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Breathe in.
3. Exhale and pull up with your abdominals while rounding your back and pressing into your arms.
4. Release slowly and return to neutral position.
5. Do 5 to 10 reps.

Seated Pelvic Tilts

Don't be fooled into thinking this seated pelvic tilt is easy. The exercise ball requires your core to be engaged for balance, making this variation far more challenging than it looks.

To start, ensure your ball is the right size, allowing your hips to be slightly higher than your knees.

1. Inhale as you sit on the exercise ball with feet shoulder-width apart. Engage your core to help maintain your posture and stay balanced.
2. Exhale and tuck your tailbone, rolling slightly forward on the ball.
3. Inhale as you press your tailbone back to roll the ball away from your feet and back to a neutral position.
4. Do 5 to 10 reps.

Safety and Precautions

With many variations and modifications, pelvic tilts are safe for most people.

You should avoid supine pelvic tilts if pregnant or if you have a condition that makes it painful to lie on your back.

While standing and kneeling pelvic tilts can be more challenging, they're better for people who are pregnant or unable to lie on their backs.

Avoid kneeling pelvic tilts if you:

• Have or are recovering from an injury to your hand, wrist, or knee
• Have recently had surgery on your hand, wrist, or knee

If you have balance problems or knee or foot injuries that don't allow weight-bearing exercises, avoid standing pelvic tilts until healed.

As always, check with your doctor before starting or intensifying a workout routine, especially if you have conditions or injuries, or are healing from surgery involving your neck, spine, abdomen, or pelvis.

Try Pelvic Tilts

Pelvic tilts can be done on their own or as part of an abdominals workout, postpartum training, physical therapy routine, and Pilates. For starters, try these and other moves and workouts:

• Standing Ab Workout
• Pilates Pelvic Curl
• Postpartum Ab and Core Workout
• Pilates Pelvic Clock
• Postpartum Exercises

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