# Lying Anterior Pelvic Shift - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/7941/lying-anterior-pelvic-shift/ - Media ID: 7941 - Primary muscle: Hips - Body part: Core - Equipment: Exercise Mat - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/7941/lying-anterior-pelvic-shift.mp4 ## Description The Lying Anterior Pelvic Shift is a prone pelvic-control drill performed face down on a mat with the arms extended overhead and the legs held straight along the floor. From this long, flat starting line, you deliberately shift the pelvis into an anterior tilt — the hip points roll toward the floor and the lower back arches slightly — before returning to a neutral spine. It looks almost invisible from the outside, but that is exactly the point: the exercise trains fine control of the pelvis using the deep core, hip flexors, and lumbar muscles rather than big, obvious limb movements. This is a useful drill for anyone who has lost the ability to feel and position their pelvis independently of the spine and legs. Desk workers with a stuck, tucked pelvis, lifters who cannot find a neutral setup before deadlifts or squats, and people rehabbing their way back from general low-back stiffness all benefit from learning to shift the pelvis on demand. Because you are lying down, the floor gives you constant feedback — you can literally feel which side of the pelvis is pressing into the mat. The primary work happens at the front of the hip, where the hip flexors help guide the pelvis forward, while the deep abdominals control the transition and the muscles of the lower back manage the small arch that accompanies the tilt. The glutes stay relatively quiet here, which is part of the challenge; most people instinctively squeeze them to fake pelvic control. Keeping them relaxed forces the deeper muscles to do the job. Setup matters more than it seems. The overhead arm position lengthens the whole front line of the body and makes compensation harder — if you arch through the mid back or flare the ribs instead of moving the pelvis, you will feel it immediately. Lie long, rest the forehead or one cheek on the mat, and let the legs stay heavy and passive throughout. Use this exercise early in a session as part of a core activation or hip mobility block, or on its own when you want low-fatigue practice in pelvic positioning. A couple of controlled sets of slow repetitions are plenty; this is a precision movement, and rushing it turns a coaching drill into a meaningless wiggle. Stop if you feel pinching at the front of the hip or sharp pain in the lower back, and reduce the range until the movement is smooth. ## Instructions 1. Lie face down on an exercise mat with your legs straight behind you, the tops of your feet resting on the floor. 2. Extend both arms overhead, hands flat on the mat, and rest your forehead or one cheek against the mat so your neck stays long. 3. Settle into a neutral pelvis, feeling both hip points and the pubic bone rest lightly against the floor. 4. Exhale and gently draw the lower belly in toward the spine to brace the deep core before moving. 5. Shift the pelvis into an anterior tilt by rolling the hip points down toward the floor and letting the lower back arch slightly, keeping the legs relaxed and glued to the mat. 6. Hold the tilted end position for one to two seconds, feeling the work gather at the front of the hips and low back. 7. Control the return by easing the pelvis back to neutral without letting the glutes clamp or the shoulders lift. 8. Breathe steadily throughout — exhale as you shift the pelvis forward, inhale as you return. 9. Reset your brace at the start of each repetition rather than holding tension nonstop. 10. Complete your planned reps slowly, then roll to one side and push up to standing rather than twisting straight up off the mat. ## Tips & Tricks - If your hips or thighs grip hard at the front of the hip, you are probably shifting the whole body forward instead of tilting the pelvis — keep the legs completely passive and move only the pelvis. - Squeezing the glutes is the most common substitution; it blocks the anterior tilt you are trying to learn, so keep them soft for the entire set. - Do not turn the shift into a back-extension exercise — the arch in the lower back should be a small consequence of the tilt, not a lift of the chest. - Keep the ribs and shoulders planted; if your upper back arches or the arms press down, the pelvis is not moving on its own. - The feet may drift or turn out as you tilt — pin your attention on keeping the tops of the feet heavy on the mat. - Breathe into your sides rather than pushing the belly hard into the floor, which fights the brace and flattens the tilt. - Range matters less than location — a small, purely pelvic movement beats a big one that drags the spine and legs along. - If lying flat feels awkward on the lower back, place a thin towel under the front of the hips to soften the floor contact without changing the mechanics. - Practice in front of a mirror from the side once or twice to confirm that only the pelvis is moving during the shift. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What muscles does the Lying Anterior Pelvic Shift work? The hip flexors at the front of the hip guide the pelvic shift, while the deep abdominal muscles and lower-back muscles control and stabilize the movement. The glutes stay mostly relaxed by design. ### Is the Lying Anterior Pelvic Shift suitable for beginners? Yes, it is one of the more accessible pelvic-control drills because the floor gives constant feedback about where the pelvis is. Beginners should start with a small range and focus on feeling the tilt rather than forcing a big arch. ### Why are the arms extended overhead in this exercise? The overhead position lengthens the front of the body and makes compensation harder. If the chest, ribs, or shoulders move instead of the pelvis, you feel it right away, which keeps the drill honest. ### Should I squeeze my glutes during the Lying Anterior Pelvic Shift? No. Squeezing the glutes pulls the pelvis the opposite way and takes the work away from the hip flexors and deep core. Keep them soft throughout the set. ### How is an anterior pelvic shift different from a posterior pelvic tilt exercise? A posterior tilt rolls the hip points up toward the ribs and flattens the lower back, while this shift rolls the hip points toward the floor and adds a small lumbar arch. Training both directions gives you full control of pelvic position. ### Can I do this exercise without a mat? You can perform it on carpet or another firm, padded surface, but a hard bare floor is uncomfortable on the hip points and forehead. A thin towel under the front of the hips also works. ### How many repetitions should I perform? Start with eight to twelve slow, controlled repetitions for one or two sets. Because this is a precision drill, quality matters far more than volume, and fatigue usually blurs the movement pattern. ### Why do I feel my lower back working during the shift? A small arch of the lower back naturally accompanies an anterior tilt, so some lumbar muscle activity is expected. If you feel strain rather than mild effort, reduce the range of the tilt and keep the brace active. ### What can I use instead of the Lying Anterior Pelvic Shift? Supine pelvic tilts on your back and quadruped rocking teach similar pelvic control from different positions. The prone version is still worth keeping because the overhead arm position exposes compensation patterns the others hide. ### Is it safe if I have lower-back sensitivity? The movement is gentle, but any extension-based drill deserves caution if your lower back is currently irritated. Keep the tilt small, stay braced, and stop if you feel sharp or radiating pain rather than muscular effort.