Standing pelvic tilt
Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.
Gently rock your pelvis forward and back. It teaches your lower back to move and to find a comfortable neutral position.
- Main focus
- Mobility
- Level
- Starting
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Load
- Your body weight
- Stability
- Free: you control the whole movement
Before you start
- Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
- Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
- Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
- Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.
Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.
What you need
A sturdy counter to rest your hands on.
How to do it
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, hands resting lightly on a counter.
- Slowly tilt your pelvis so your tailbone tucks under, and hold for a moment.
- Slowly tilt it the other way, so your lower back curves a little, and hold for a moment.
- Return to the middle.
How much
To start: 3 slow rocks.
As it gets easier: 5 slow rocks.
How it should feel: Very gentle. The movement is small.
Make it easier
- Make the movement smaller.
Make it harder
- Hold each end for a few more seconds.
Safety
- Keep your knees slightly bent, not locked.
- Keep your breathing steady.
When to stop
- Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
- Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
- Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
- Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
- After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
- You feel pain in your lower back, hip or leg.
- Your leg tingles or goes numb.
Other ways to do this movement
Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in
Where this comes from
NIA: gentle range of motion; do not stretch so far that it hurts. Name and movement from the screened catalog entry; the text and counts are original and intentionally conservative.
- Three Types of Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Physical Ability, National Institute on Aging, NIH (Content reviewed Jan. 14, 2025).
This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.