Exercises for Pelvic Strain and Damage due to Heavy Lifting and Weight Training

Pelvic pain can strike men and women alike. Two prime causes of pelvic pain are excessive weight and improper lifting technique during resistance exercise. Symptoms of pelvic pain can last weeks and sometimes months. A solid treatment plan for pelvic pain consists of core strengthening and lower extremity stretching.

Pelvic Tilts

Pelvic tilts are a standard exercise that teach you how to move your pelvic region. You can perform pelvic tilts in a supine or seated position. Your first objective is to feel out where your pelvis is. The pelvic bone is located right between your hip bones. Place your left hand on your left hip and your right hand on your right hip. Simply maneuver your pelvis forward and backward. Only move your pelvis through a pain-free range of motion.

Supine Bridge

Supine bridges incorporate the gluteals and hamstrings within the posterior chain. Bridges also stabilize the transverse or inner abdominals which support the lower spine and pelvic region. Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your feet and knees hip-width apart. Slowly elevate your hips off the floor. Tighten your inner abdominals and gluteals as you lift your hips. Once your hips are fully extended, force a three-second contraction/hold. Lower your hips until they almost touch the floor. Maintain a constant abdominal/gluteal contraction throughout the movement. Make sure you initiate the motion from your hips and not your trunk.

Quadruped Bird Dog

The bird dog is an exercise that acts on your trunk stabilizers from a prone or face-down body plane. Set yourself up on all fours on the floor. Begin by elevating your right arm and your left leg simultaneously. Hold these two limbs in their elevated positions for about three seconds. After the three-second pause, lower your right arm and left leg back to the floor. Perform the same motion with the left arm and right leg. Limit how high you lift each leg up. Exaggerated leg elevation will throw off your pelvic alignment. Keep a perpetual contraction in your inner abdominals and gluteals.

Ball Squat

Ball squats strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals. Targeting the glutes and quads help stabilize the pelvic girdle. Strong glutes and quads keep undue strain out of the pelvis. Place your lower spine on the middle of a physio ball that is situated on a flat wall. Create a constant abdominal contraction while you keep your back straight. Your feet, knees and hips are all aligned. Lower your hips and flex your knees in a controlled fashion. Move downward until your thighs are parallel with the floor. After a one second pause, lift your hips upward until your legs are just about straight. Prevent any lateral knee movement, which may cause patella discomfort. Keep your hips from rolling with the ball, as this could lead to spinal instability.

Stretching

Lower body stretching enhances flexibility in some key core muscles. The muscle areas you want to focus on are the hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps and gluteals. These primary muscles should just be pieces of a full body stretching program. Stretching is always done after your exercise session. This is when your flexibility can be improved. You can stretch before your strength workout, as long as you execute a warm up. A proper warm up is five to eight minutes of a light aerobic activity.