Fix Anterior Pelvic Tilt: 4 Best Exercises for Posture Correction & Pain Reduction

Ever feel like your lower back is constantly tight, your stomach sticks out a little more than you’d like, or your hips just feel… off? You might have anterior pelvic tilt. Sounds fancy, but it’s just a postural imbalance where your pelvis tilts forward, messing with your spine, core, and overall posture. The good news? You can fix it—with the right exercises.

First, What Even Is Anterior Pelvic Tilt?

Imagine your pelvis is a bowl of water. In an ideal world, it should be level. But with anterior pelvic tilt (APT), the front of the bowl tips forward, spilling that imaginary water all over your toes. This happens when your hip flexors and lower back get too tight while your core and glutes get weak. The result? Lower back pain, poor posture, and maybe even some discomfort in your hips and knees.

How Do You Fix It? Move More, But Move Right

You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to correct APT. But you do need to be intentional with your movement. The key is stretching the muscles that are too tight and strengthening the ones that are slacking off.

1. Stretch Those Tight Hip Flexors

If you sit a lot (who doesn’t these days?), your hip flexors are probably tighter than they should be. Try these:

• Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch – Drop into a lunge position, tuck your pelvis slightly, and lean forward until you feel a stretch at the front of your hip. Hold for 30 seconds per side.
• Couch Stretch – Put your back foot up on a couch (or bench), lunge forward with the front foot, and feel the deep stretch. Brutal, but effective.

2. Wake Up Those Sleepy Glutes

Weak glutes are a big part of why your pelvis tilts forward in the first place. Time to get them working.

• Glute Bridges – Lie on your back, feet planted, and lift your hips while squeezing your glutes. Keep your lower back out of it!
• Single-Leg Glute Bridges – Same thing, but on one leg. This one really makes you notice any imbalances.

3. Strengthen That Core (The Right Way)

Forget endless crunches. The goal here is to stabilize your pelvis, not just build a six-pack.

• Dead Bug – Lie on your back, lift your legs and arms, and slowly extend opposite limbs while keeping your lower back glued to the floor.
• Planks (With a Posterior Tilt) – Instead of just holding a plank, slightly tuck your pelvis under to engage your core properly.

4. Loosen Up That Lower Back

Your lower back is doing way more work than it should. Give it some relief.

• Child’s Pose – A simple but effective stretch for opening up your lower back.
• Cat-Cow Stretch – Moves your spine through its full range of motion, helping to relieve tension.

The Bottom Line

Anterior pelvic tilt doesn’t fix itself, but with the right exercises (and consistency), you can correct it. Focus on stretching where you’re tight, strengthening where you’re weak, and being mindful of your posture throughout the day. Your lower back will thank you.