Neutral Pelvis – Week One of Pilates
Introduction
Week one of our Pilates has come and gone very quickly. Just a little reminder to what we are working on this week. We focused mainly on the alignment of your pelvis. We started with your pelvis because it is the center of your body. How you hold your pelvis will directly effect your legs, spine and upper body. So, it is a good place to start.
If you remember from class, every joint is most efficient if it is in neutral. Neutral is your home base. From a neutral position, a joint can move in any direction without much effort. The problem arises when a particular joint is held in a non neutral position and the brain begins to register that position as home base. A joint that is not in a neutral position has soft tissue; muscles, ligaments and tendons, pulling on the joint in an imbalanced way. Over time this situation can cause injury and pain!
Are you ready to find your neutral pelvis? Are you trying to find it right now? Neutral pelvis is where the anterior superior illiac spine is in line with the pubic bone. In a more colloquial sense think the belly button over the pubic bone. See the pictures below.
Neutral Pelvis Anterior Tilt Posterior Tilt
Neutral pelvis is when your belly button is over your pubic bone. An anterior tilted pelvis is when your pubic bone is behind your belly button, or like a swim suit model. A posterior tilt is when the pubic bone is in front of the belly button, like a dog with a tail between it’s legs. Neutral is the position that is the most efficient for whatever movement you want to do. It is important to note that neutral is a range of motion. When you find a neutral position it can move, it is not to be held with tension.
Exercises
These were the exercises that we did in order to practice neutral pelvis.
- Pelvic Clock – On your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Rock your pelvis between the belly button and pubic bone. Stop and align the pubic bone across from the belly button. Look and see if your belly button is really in line with your pubic bone. This is to connect the sensation of neutral pelvis versus the reality of neutral pelvis.
- Bridge – Starting in the same position and in neutral pelvis. Roll up your spine one vertebrae at a time and roll down the spine one vertebrae at a time. Roll down into neutral spine with the belly button in line with the pubic bone. Look to see that your really are in neutral.
- Standing – Place one hand at your belly button and one at your pubic bone. Rock the pelvic back and forth like you did on the pelvic clock. Align the belly button over the pubic bone. Check your alignment in a mirror.
- Bonus – Go to a posterior tilt, pubic bone ahead of the belly button and look at your posture. Go to an anterior tilt, pubic bone behind the belly button, and look at your posture. What feels most comfortable?
Interesting, huh?
September 8th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Interesting. I learned a few things and I wasn’t in the class. Thanks.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Neutral pelvis is so much easier to find and maintain lying down with bent knees, and while practicing the pelvic rocking exercise. While walking around in the world, it feels like tight ham string muscles constantly pull the pelvis out of neutral alignment… Nice illustrations, they really help with understanding the concept.
September 19th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Yes, it is tight hamstrings, hip flexors and back that make it challenging to keep a neutral pelvis. Plus, for some people it is the mere habit of posturing that has created the tight musculature. Bending the knees with the feet on the floor takes the organizing of the legs out of the picture. Especially in a supine position(on your back) with the force of gravity pulling on you, the legs are a long lever that take more work to move while trying to maintain your center. If trying to find a neutral pelvis, yes keeping the legs bent and feet on the floor makes it much easier.
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October 12th, 2009 at 4:56 am
The pictures are really helpful, especially because of the stripe on the pants which enhances the effect. I also noticed the pull on the hamstrings when I first started doing the exercises above. Just like it says, “A joint that is not in a neutral position has soft tissue; muscles, ligaments and tendons, pulling on the joint in an imbalanced way. Over time this situation can cause injury and pain!” The good news is that it does realign itself w. practice and attention to when you maintain a neutral pelvis throughout the day.
I am curious about the neutral pelvis in the left right axis. It seems like you can have a neutral pelvis w. the bellybutton over the pelvic bone but still have one hip higher on a side. Is that true?
October 12th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Dear Teri,
Yes, we have just talked about neutral in the saggital plane. The concept of neutral is also applicable in the transverse and frontal planes of movement. A rotation of the pelvis right or left is the transverse plane and up/down in the frontal plane. So, check out your pelvis in the other planes of movement.
August 27th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
It’s exhausting to search out knowledgeable individuals on this topic, but you sound like you recognize what you’re speaking about! Thanks