What is Lower Crossed Syndrome?
Lower crossed syndrome is a common abnormal posture associated with muscle imbalances in the lower body. This muscle imbalance consists of some weak/lengthened muscles (ie. the abdominals as well as the glutes) and some tight/over-developed muscles (ie. the lower back muscles and hip flexors).
What causes lower crossed syndrome?
There are several causes of lower crossed syndrome, including poor posture and suboptimal training that can lead to muscle imbalances. A sedentary lifestyle can cause the hip flexors to remain in a shortened position for long periods of time, which can lead to tightness. When you aren’t as active, your glutes and abdominal muscles also won’t be challenged, which may lead to weakness in these muscles. Even if you are active, overworking the hip flexor muscles or lower back muscles can also cause this imbalance.
How do you fix lower crossed syndrome?
In order to fix lower crossed syndrome, you have to address the muscle imbalance. To do this, you will need to strengthen the glutes, which pull the backside of the pelvis downwards. You’ll also want to strengthen the abdominals to help pull the frontside of the pelvis upwards. But that is just half of it. You’ll also want to stretch the tight muscles. This includes the lower back muscles and the hip flexors as mentioned above. Listed below are a few exercises that can help correct this poor posture. Come into First Choice Physical Therapy for proper instruction with each of these exercises!
- Lower Trunk Rotations
- Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
- Single Leg Bridges
- Bird Dogs
- Pallof Press
Dr. Ryan Bohn, PT, DPT