Unlock Your Low Back and Hips: The Essential Pelvic Floor Rocking Exercise

Fiona McIntosh - Osteopath Essential Osteopathy

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The pelvic floor rocking exercise is a simple yet profoundly effective movement for anyone dealing with chronic low back pain, hip stiffness, or pelvic floor tension. This fundamental exercise, often recommended by physical therapists and osteopaths, is key to improving the communication and mobility between your lumbar spine and pelvis.

The exercise involves lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, then slowly and gently rocking your pelvis forward and backward—a subtle movement that should initiate from your lower abdomen.

How the Pelvic Floor Rocking Exercise Works:

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  Relieves Low Back Pain: By gently articulating the vertebrae in the lower spine, the rocking motion promotes fluid movement, eases muscle guarding, and releases deep-seated tension.

• Improves Hip Mobility: It encourages subtle movement in the hip sockets, easing the stiffness that often contributes to chronic low back pain and poor posture.

• Activates the Pelvic Floor: The rhythmic motion improves your coordination and awareness of the deep core muscles and the pelvic floor, enhancing both subtle relaxation and gentle engagement.

The goal of the pelvic floor rocking exercise is not strength, but neurological re-education—teaching your body how to move effortlessly and without pain. Regular, mindful practice is a powerful tool for self-care and achieving lasting functional posture improvement.