Anterior Pelvic Tilt and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction - Breathing Exercise

Anterior pelvic tilt or hyper lordosis is very common for people suffering pelvic floor dysfunction.

There are many exercises you can do to correct anterior pelvic tilt and bring the pelvic bowl into a more neutral position but there can be some restrictions that can prevent you from getting the full benefit from these exercises.

Common exercises such as hamstring curls , Glute Bridges and reverse crunches are prescribed to reverse anterior pelvic tilt. These exercises work great when you have the ability to peform lumbar flexion.

For people who have been in a state of anterior pelvic tilt for many years the lower lumbar muscles can be so tight that they physically cannot perform lumbar flexion.

For those with tight lower back muscles, lumbar flexion doesn't always occur and you will see a stiff straight back instead of a slight bend.

1. Crocodile Breathing Exercise

The crocodile breathing exercise is very useful for stretching the lower lumbar muscles and is especially useful for those with shortness of breath and those who find that they cannot take a full deep breath. (shallow breathing)

Lie on your stomach with your head wresting on your hands to maintain a neutral spine.  Take deep abdominal belly breaths and feel the air stretch your lower back and obliques.

                                             image: achievefitnessboston

Important -> For those with anterior pelvic tilt make sure that you dig your ASIS (hip bones) and pubic bone into the ground to avoid arching your back while performing this exercise, Dig your hip bones into the ground but also make sure you are not tensing your pelvic floor or anus muscles.

Not feeling the stretch?

If you have an extermely tight lumbar spine you may need some extra help to feel the stretch. The easiest way to do this is to lay over a foam roller or swiss ball. Position the ball on your belly , you may need to experiment with placement to get the best stretch.

Now you have loosened up the lower lumbar muscles you can perform your anterior pelvic tilt correction exercises.

Its also important to release the psoas muscles before performing anterior pelvic tilt correction exercises, I have previously written a post on this subject ->

The Psoas and the Pelvic Floor - Release the Psoas to Heal Pelvic Pain.

there you go , another riveting post :) as always I hope it helps someone out there