How is a pelvic tilt different from a glute bridge?

A pelvic tilt is a small roll of the pelvis that flattens the lower back while the hips stay low, and the abdominals do most of the work. In a Glute Bridge, the hips rise until the body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the knees, and the glutes become the main movers.

Should my hips come off the floor?

Only slightly. As the lower back presses flat, the tailbone can curl just off the floor, but the middle and upper back stay down and the hips do not lift into a bridge.

Is a pelvic tilt the same as drawing in the belly button?

No. Drawing the belly button in without moving the pelvis, often called abdominal hollowing, is a separate exercise, and in a lab study of healthy young women the lying pelvic tilt produced more rectus abdominis and external oblique activity than hollowing in every position tested.

Will pelvic tilts fix an anterior pelvic tilt?

Probably not on their own. A 2024 review of controlled trials in healthy people found that neither stretching nor strengthening programs clearly changed the resting position of the pelvis and lower back, so treat the exercise as a way to learn control of the pelvis rather than as a posture fix.

Can I do pelvic tilts during pregnancy?

Many people do, but lying flat on the back can cause dizziness later in pregnancy, so after the first trimester a hands-and-knees or standing pelvic tilt is the usual choice. Check with your healthcare provider about which version suits you.

How long should I hold each tilt?

A hold of about 5 seconds while breathing normally is a common starting point, with 8 to 12 repetitions. Longer holds of up to 10 to 15 seconds are fine once the position feels easy to keep.

Pelvic Tilt

What Is the Pelvic Tilt?

Pelvic Tilt is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the core, using the abdominals to roll the pelvis backward and flatten the lower back against the floor while the glutes and hamstrings assist. It is a beginner-level movement done lying on the back with the knees bent, so it needs no equipment, nothing is lifted, and the spine stays supported by the floor the whole time.

The exercise teaches control of the pelvis and lower back, which is the foundation for most other core work. It appears in many physical therapy home programs and back care handouts as a first core exercise, and it also works as a gentle way to move a stiff lower back, as a warm-up before floor exercises, or as an easy daily routine on its own. Learning to find and hold this position makes later exercises such as the Dead Bug and the Glute Bridge easier to do well.

The abdominals do most of the work by drawing the front of the pelvis up toward the ribs, while the glutes and hamstrings help pull the back of the pelvis down. In this version, the tailbone curls just off the floor at the end of the tilt, which brings the glutes in a little more, but the hips stay low and the rest of the back stays down. That keeps it separate from the Glute Bridge, where the hips rise until the body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the knees and the glutes become the main movers. Some programs alternate the flattening tilt with a gentle arch of the lower back, which adds a mobility element to the same drill.

Pelvic Tilt suits beginners, people returning to exercise after a break, and older adults who want a supported, low-impact way to start core training, as long as getting down to and up from the floor is comfortable. A smaller range is the easiest starting point. Once the tilt feels easy to hold while breathing normally, the Heel Slide adds slow leg movement while the pelvis stays still, and the Dead Bug and Glute Bridge build on the same control.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Rectus Abdominis: Primary
Rectus Abdominis (Lower): Primary
External Oblique: High
Gluteus Maximus: Medium
Biceps Femoris: Low
Semimembranosus: Low
Semitendinosus: Low
Erector Spinae: Minimal

Instructions

Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart.
Rest your arms along your sides with your palms down, and keep your head relaxed on the floor.
Let your lower back settle into its natural curve, with a small gap between it and the floor.
Breathe out and gently tighten your abdominals to roll your pelvis backward, pressing your lower back flat into the floor.
Let your tailbone curl just off the floor as your pubic bone draws toward your ribs, keeping your middle and upper back down and your hips low.
Keep your feet relaxed on the floor so your abdominals do the work, not your legs.
Hold the tilt for about 5 seconds while breathing normally.
Breathe in and slowly roll your pelvis back to the starting position, relaxing your abdominals fully.
Repeat for the planned number of repetitions.

Common Mistakes

Holding the breath
Holding the breath while tightening the abdominals raises pressure in the trunk, so breathe out into the tilt and keep breathing normally while you hold it.
Lifting into a bridge
Driving the hips high off the floor turns the drill into a glute bridge and can arch the lower back, when only the tailbone should curl slightly up.
Pushing with the legs
Shoving hard through the feet makes the thighs do the work, so keep the feet relaxed on the floor and let the abdominals roll the pelvis.
Pushing the belly out
Bracing the abdominals outward works against the tilt, so draw the belly in gently as the lower back flattens.
Tensing the neck and shoulders
Pressing the head or arms into the floor adds strain to the neck and shoulders without helping the pelvis move.
Rushing the repetitions
Rocking the pelvis quickly without holding the tilt or relaxing fully between repetitions skips the control the exercise is meant to build.

Injuries

Pelvic Tilt is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The movement is small, the floor supports the whole spine, and no weight is added, so problems usually come from forcing the movement rather than from the exercise itself. The most common complaints are neck and shoulder tension from pressing the head into the floor, discomfort in the lower back when the hips are pushed up too far and the back arches, and a feeling of strain from holding the breath during the tilt.

Keep the effort gentle and breathe normally throughout, letting the abdominals do the work rather than pushing hard through the feet. Lie on a mat or carpeted floor rather than a hard surface, and to get up afterwards, roll onto one side and push up with the arms rather than sitting straight up. Later in pregnancy, lying flat on the back can cause dizziness, so check with a healthcare provider before doing this version after the first trimester.

To make it easier, make the movement smaller or place a rolled towel under the lower back for support. To progress, lift one foot a few inches off the floor while holding the tilt, or move on to the Heel Slide, the Dead Bug or the Glute Bridge. Stop if the exercise increases your pain, or if you feel sharp pain, pain that travels into the legs, numbness or tingling, and check with a clinician before continuing.

Overview

Primary Focus: Core
Equipment: Body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Pelvic Tilt

The Pelvic Tilt is also known as:

Posterior Pelvic Tilt
Supine Pelvic Tilt

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is a pelvic tilt different from a glute bridge?: A pelvic tilt is a small roll of the pelvis that flattens the lower back while the hips stay low, and the abdominals do most of the work. In a Glute Bridge, the hips rise until the body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the knees, and the glutes become the main movers.
Q: Should my hips come off the floor?: Only slightly. As the lower back presses flat, the tailbone can curl just off the floor, but the middle and upper back stay down and the hips do not lift into a bridge.
Q: Is a pelvic tilt the same as drawing in the belly button?: No. Drawing the belly button in without moving the pelvis, often called abdominal hollowing, is a separate exercise, and in a lab study of healthy young women the lying pelvic tilt produced more rectus abdominis and external oblique activity than hollowing in every position tested.
Q: Will pelvic tilts fix an anterior pelvic tilt?: Probably not on their own. A 2024 review of controlled trials in healthy people found that neither stretching nor strengthening programs clearly changed the resting position of the pelvis and lower back, so treat the exercise as a way to learn control of the pelvis rather than as a posture fix.
Q: Can I do pelvic tilts during pregnancy?: Many people do, but lying flat on the back can cause dizziness later in pregnancy, so after the first trimester a hands-and-knees or standing pelvic tilt is the usual choice. Check with your healthcare provider about which version suits you.
Q: How long should I hold each tilt?: A hold of about 5 seconds while breathing normally is a common starting point, with 8 to 12 repetitions. Longer holds of up to 10 to 15 seconds are fine once the position feels easy to keep.