Hi Hayley!
It recently came to my attention, after seeing a podiatrist regarding pain in my feet, that my pelvis isn't evenly aligned (i.e. my left side is lower) and that my pelvis is tilted back, causing my butt to stick out more than it should. Who knew!? Anyway, now I'm feeling self-conscious about how I look when I walk and also concerned that I'm doing some major alignment damage to my body. Can you recommend some exercises I can do at home to realign my pelvis/ body and to correct the fact that I'm apparently sticking my ass out while I walk?
Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
Butt rut
___
First of all, you need to let go of the insecurity of your alignment issue and your butt. Why? Because we all have skeletal issues and unless you won the genepool lottery, your body is not perfect.
A lot of people get through life without discovering their body’s issues because they don’t push themselves enough for it to become a problem, or they don’t realize that the pains that they are having could be fixed through rehabilitation. I have one leg that is nearly 2 cms longer than the other, which has created a lot of problems in my body: the way I walk is different, the way I run is different, my abs are not symmetrical, my one hip and one shoulder round forward, and when I am training intensely for a competition my body hurts. I do what I can, working with physiotherapists and chiropractors, to keep myself together the best I can, but I know I will never be perfect. The good news is that none of my fellow competitors will be perfect either.
You need to get working with a professional. I understand that this can be a financial burden but you need one on one, hands-on education on how to strengthen your body and get it as close to “normal’ as you can. Start by seeing a physiotherapist to get a diagnosis on your pelvic issue and then start working with a highly trained Pilates instructor. Pilates is starting to make its way to the forefront of movement training and many physiotherapists will have a Pilates instructor in house to work with their patients. You need to start to strengthen your weak muscles and stretch your tight muscles. You need to create function in your core. You need to stabilize your pelvis. But all of this can’t be accomplished until you learn how to move your body efficiently.
Invest in yourself, and your body, for the next three months and build a foundation that will carry you for the rest of your life. Once you teach your body the basic fundamentals of movement you can start to do things on your own, but until then you need a trained eye to help ensure you are moving correctly.
Unfortunately it is not as simple as “do this exercise and everything will feel better”. It will be a frustrating journey, and at some points you may feel like you are getting nowhere, but when you reach the end it will all be worth it.
Attached - Jennifer Garner leaving the gym today in LA.
