Your breathing impacts your pelvis position.
Why this matters:
Most people with an anterior pelvic tilt will have a flared out rib cage and tight upper traps (the area between your ears and shoulders. We learned earlier this week that an anterior pelvic tilt can result in tight hip flexors, tight back muscles, and can pinch on the nerves that form the sciatic nerve. We miss out on a large piece of the puzzle if we overlook breathing.
Flared out ribs, anterior pelvic tilt, and tight upper traps, in the presence of pain indicate a “high hinge point” at the lowest end of the rib cage. This means that we are limited in the ability to expand the rib cage backwards. This is crucial because we need to fill this part of our lungs with air. Without it, we are moving too much at this point, and that is a contributing factor to the pain we feel.
Action steps:
Look at yourself in the mirror straight on. Are your ribs pointing forward? Do you have an anterior pelvic tilt?
Then it is good for you to expand the back portion of your rib cage. Try this technique out. If you tolerate flexion, even better. To prevent hyperventilation, breathe in slowly for 4s and out slowly for 4s.
Let me know how you feel.
