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Improving Posture: Exercises to Correct Excessive Low Back Curve
Improve Your Posture: How to Correct an Excessive Lower Back Curve
Are you aiming to improve your posture? Correcting an exaggerated curve in your lower back is achievable with targeted exercises.
Experiencing lower back pain? This discomfort often stems from an abnormal arch in your spine, known as a larger-than-normal lordotic curve.
This guide unveils essential exercises designed to rectify an increased curve in your lower back posture. After mastering the foundational routines, you’ll find advanced exercises to further enhance your posture.
See Also: Advanced Posture Exercises For Your Rounde Upper Back
Understanding Posture: Addressing Hyperlordosis
The natural curves in your lower back and neck, known as lordosis, play a crucial role in your overall posture. Normal lordosis is common and healthy.
However, the internet is rife with misinformation regarding posture correction. As a practising chiropractor, my goal is to provide you with accurate and reliable information to navigate posture improvements effectively.
Excessive curvature, or hyperlordosis, refers to an overpronounced curve in the lower back. “Hyper” indicates an excess, much like the term “hyperactive.” Conversely, “hypo” denotes a deficiency, indicating less curvature than normal.
It’s possible to exhibit hyperlordotic posture without experiencing pain. Nevertheless, addressing this condition early is vital to reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis in the joints and discs of your lower spine.
See Also: 4 Upper Back Exercises To Improve Posture
Correcting Hyperlordosis: Enhancing Appearance and Reducing Risk
Proactively adjusting a hyperlordotic posture not only mitigates health risks but can also refine your silhouette. Through specific exercises, we can realign your pelvis, diminishing the appearance of lordosis without altering your body’s natural shape.
Causes of Hyperlordosis Include:
Tight Muscles:
- Erector spinae muscles along the spine.
- The hip flexor muscle is known as the psoas.
Weak Muscles:
- The gluteus maximus shapes your buttocks.
- Abdominal muscles, particularly the rectus abdominis or “six-pack” muscles, remain concealed for many under a layer of fat.
Hyperlordosis results from an imbalance between overly tight muscles pulling in one direction and weak muscles failing to compensate, exacerbating the spinal curve.
Correcting Your Posture: Balancing Muscle Strength
To amend your posture, begin by stretching the tight muscles before strengthening the weaker ones. This balanced approach is key to correcting an excessive lower back curve and improving your overall posture.
A: Arch Your Lower Back Like The Cat Pose in Yoga – Stretch your low back erector spinae (low back muscles).
- Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders, your knees under your hips.
- Arch your upper back and lower back like a cat does when it’s scared.
- Hold for 30 seconds – do 3 sets.
- If you have a disc problem, or it hurts to arch and flex your back, this exercise is not for you.
A: Child Pose: Second stretch for your low back erector spinae (low back muscles).
- Get on your hands and knees.
- Sit back onto your heels with your arms reaching out as far as they will go.
- Your head is looking down – neck down.
- Hold for 30 seconds – do 3 sets.
A: Lunge Pose: You need to stretch the hip flexor muscles (psoas muscles)
- Get down on your knees.
- Put one leg forward with the knee bent to 90 degrees.
- The other leg is back with the knee very slightly bent resting on the floor.
- You should feel the stretch in the front part of your hip.
- Hold for 30 seconds and do 3 sets.
Second, strengthen your gluteus maximus (your butt-shaping muscle) and abs (your rectus abdominis muscles or six-pack muscles)
I will give you two exercises to strengthen your gluteus maximus. The squat and the single-leg squat.
B: The Chair Squat To Strengthen Your Gluteus Maximus
- Stand with your back to the chair.
- Your feet should be shoulder width apart with your feet turned out slightly
- Make sure to not arch your lower back when lowering yourself down to the chair.
- Touch the chair and come right back up 10 – do 3 sets.
B: Single Leg Squat To Improve Your Posture. When you can do three sets of chair squats easily, try single-leg squats.
- Always stand near a wall so, you can support yourself if you lose your balance.
- Stand on one leg.
- Stick out your butt as much as you can while bringing your other leg back, dragging it on the floor to keep balance.
- Go as far as you can with the back leg.
- Don’t let your knee go forward past the big toe
- Do 3 sets of 10.
Strengthen Your Abs To Help Your Posture
B: Front Planks strengthen your abs without putting dangerous pressure on your discs like crunches and sit-ups do.
- Lie face down.
- Toes together and your arms shoulder width apart.
- Hold this position without raising your butt too high
- Your body should form a straight line. Look in the mirror.
- Hold for up to 1 minute at a time. – do the exercise 3 times.
B: Advanced Abs Strengthening To Help Your Posture
- Get a basketball or medicine ball.
- Get in the front plank position.
- Balance with your forearms on your medicine ball/basketball.
- Pull your arms in toward you while balancing on the ball.
Feel free to share your questions, thoughts and experiences in the comments below, and don’t forget to connect with us on Facebook for more updates and tips on improving your shoulder health. We’d love to hear your opinions on who you consider the best Toronto chiropractor.
Dr. Ken, has been recognized as the Best Toronto Chiropractor in 2024, 2023, and 2018, here in downtown Toronto. As a sports chiropractor, he excels in treating a wide range of conditions including concussions, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), sports-related injuries, and spinal issues. Beyond his clinical skills, Dr. Ken is an accomplished athlete, having represented Ontario in the Canadian Judo Championships and completed the Toronto Marathon on two occasions. He employs the innovative C3 Program to provide targeted and effective care to his patients, ensuring a holistic approach to their well-being and athletic performance.
Hi Doctor, My name is Scott and I am 21Y.o, my past medical history with my back has been a long one. Back when I was 16 in high school I had lower lumbar stress fracture which I did physical therapy for and the pain went away. Within the 5 years I’ve noticed slight Lordosis but not as much as it was made out to be. About 1 month ago I had a muscle spasm around my sciatic nerve and had X-rays done. X-rays showed, L5 Pars deficit with 4mm of Anterolisthesis of L5 on S1. I’m assuming that my L5 vertebrae slipping over S1 is causing my Lordosis and back pain. I have been doing some Lordosis excerises but generally have no been feeling any different after 2 weeks. I also put pillows under my knees at night when sleeping but my lower back pain is just constant, not sharp but dull and achey. What should do I help fix my problem? A further assessment like MRI? Continuing excerises? Any kind of therapy or treatment? Surgical intervention? This affects my body from morning to night, constant twitching, aching, dull back pain, can’t sit or lay still. I would like your opinions!
Thanks- Scott
Author
Thanks for your question Scott. You should try knee to chest exercises while lying down holding for 1 sec. Do this 10 X every 2 hours. If the exercises increase the pain or the lordosis or you develop new tingling, numbness or pain going further down into your buttock then you are getting worse. Also doing the exercises in this article except for the hip flexor stretch maybe helpful.
Hope that helps your pars defect.
hi doctor. i have moderate scoliosis(38 up 31 down) and lordosis.can this exercises to correct lordosis worsen my scoliosis? please note that im still a teenager and im not done growing.thanks in advance.your work is really appreciated!
Author
Thanks for your question Dan. The hip flexor stretch (lunge) can make you worse so best to avoid that but otherwise should not make you worse. However always consult a the best chiropractor or physiotherapist in your area so that you get information for your particular case.
Hope that helps your posture.
Hello I am 22 years old and have lumbar lordosis, not diagnosed but from what I’ve seen and read is what it’s got to be. I don’t really have any back pain but definately notice the my lower back is curved in and is really noticeable. I am starting to follow these excersises but just wondering if I can buy a posture corrector/back brace to help get my body aided to being In that position. If so do you recommend any?
Author
Thanks for your question Cain. I am not aware of any posture corrector. Why don’t you do the exercises as they are cheaper and more long term than any device.
Hope that helps your posture.
Hello Doctor, this was a very informative article and I had a question regarding if this is what is affecting me. I recently suffered a horseback riding injury in which I landed directly on my lower back. My back now has a strange curvature, but it’s more noticeable in the front where my lower abdominals protrude. Also, laying on the floor another person can fit there whole arm under my lower back, and it’s painful to lay flat due to a large protruding bone on my lower back. I am involved in runway modeling and this lower abdominal bulge is quite unsightly. I’ve been to multiple chiropractors and haven’t gotten an answer on what this is, or what stretches can help it. It would be great to hear your opinion on what this is.
Author
Thanks for your question Paxton. While it is almost normal for runway models to have an extremely arched lower back it’s a little different in your case if it started or got worse with an injury. First I am assuming you got an X-ray. It’s one of times that an X-ray is needed. These exercises will help unless you have an spondylolisthesis which is a fracture and displacement of the vertebrae in the lower back, which would make an lower back arch even more arched. There can also be other reasons.
However I cannot tell. If you already have X-rays get them re-taken or have them re-read by a new person. If you don’t have x-rays then get them done. It’s actually pretty easy to miss. Just because the report says there is nothing doesn’t always make it so. Remember whoever is reading the X-rays have different skill levels and also they are also human.
Hope that helps your lower back pain and posture.
Hi Dr Ken,
Thanks for posting all of these exercises!
I have a big arch in my lower back and my butt sticks out. I don’t feel any pain except for when I lay on my stomach. The pain is on the right side of my back just below my ribs. Where is this pain coming from? Is just a mucle? Do you think the exercises will fix the arch in my back and the pain?
Thanks, Greg
Author
Thanks for your question Greg. Just a note, it’s not unusual for people with an big arch in their back to need extension or bending backwards to help with their pain. It’s not necessarily how your spine is shaped but how you use your lower back. A simple method is to do the exercises and if you get worse than you likely need extension. I can’t examine you so, I cannot tell you what you need. These exercises should be supervised by a chiropractor or physiotherapist at least to start.
Hope that helps your posture.
Thank you for this post , I have found other excersises to do aswell with these you have posted. Doing them everyday and looking forward to the results in the future.
Just want to say thank you!
Author
Thanks for your comment Cory. Good luck wth your posture.
Hi Dr.Ken,
I am 32 years old man,i always feel the need to bend my lower back and do stretches and hear some bones poping went to doctor and got the following results :
– straightened lumbar lordosis
– hemisacralization of l5 vertebra with attenuated l5/s1 disk space
– preserved other disc spaces heights
– normal facet joints
– no parsspinal masses or collection
what shall i do?
Author
Thanks for your question Heshman. You need to tell me what your symptoms are. You haven’t said if you have pain, numbness, tingling etc.. what makes it worse, better. Detailed symptoms is what I need.
Hi sir,
I am paraplegic due to cerebral palsy with weak lower back muscle . through I walk without any problem but weak lower back muscle affects my walking gait. I want to know how much the upper mentioned exercises are helpful to me.
Thanks
Author
Thanks for your question Sarfaraj. I am sorry I cannot tell you as I would have to see how your walk and what your posture is like. This is not something to be dealt with online.
Hi, I am 16 years old and have really bad scoliosis. The last time it was checked (about a year ago) my lower spine had a 30° curvature and my upper spine was half that. Do you know if these stretches and exercises would help prevent my scoliosis from getting worse? Or even help it align?
Author
Thanks for your question Katye. These exercises don’t help with scoliosis. Sorry they won’t help.
Hello doctor
Im 35 yrs. I sense pain every morning when i wake up. Specially when i sleep straight. I try to sleep sideways but at some point i do get straight in my sleep. Otherwise throughout the day im fine. My matress is fine and firm.
I have started to do the stretches and yoga.
Sometimes i feel my lower back curve is more.
My question is
1) Are there tests/machines that asses your spine alignment?
And 2) while the spine gets stretched with certain exercises does it help in gaining little height?
Author
Thanks for your question Ash. If you mean that you lie on your back in the middle of the night and that makes your pain worse here is the device that checks it. http://www.morenewpatients.com/
2, You can certainly gain height if you are straighter.
Hope that helps your posture.
Hello Dr Nakamura,
Thank you for the wonderful information on your site!
I am going to start the hyperlordosis exercises you recommend, with one exception. I have bad knees, and if I tried to do squats, I would find myself on the floor pretty quickly. (I have a collagen disorder that makes my connective tissue… unreliable at certain angles. 🙂 )
Are there any glut strengthening exercises you would recommend? (I understand that there may not be any.)
I appreciate your time and help!
Author
Thanks for your question Wendy. Sure you can strengthen your glut max by lying on the floor face down. Bring up one leg as if you were kicking someone above you. That’s it.
Hope that helps your posture. Please note this can cause back pain in the rare person, and in your case with a connective tissue disorder you might be one of these people. Stop right away if you think you are worse. You should consult someone like a physiotherapist or the best chiropractor in your area. I’m in Toronto so I don’t think I can help supervise you.
That is wonderful and perfect. I have learned with my disorder to listen to my body very carefully, so don’t be worried I will be hurt.
Thank you so very much! If I am ever in Toronto, I will bring you cookies. 🙂
Author
Best of luck Wendy. Thanks for your appreciation.
I was told by a few chiropractors that I have hyperlordosis. I feel it a lot when I’ve been standing for length periods and my lower back gets stiff. Lately, it’s been getting worse. My lower back is so stiff and aches so bad that stretching it is almost too much. I feel like I’m losing some of my mobility of my back. Any suggestions on what could be causing that? I see a chiropractor regularly and he dismisses my concern. He just adjust my lower back and moves on. My adjustments aren’t helping at all. Thanks.
Author
Thanks for your question Anna. If you aren’t getting better and your chiropractor dismisses your concerns without addressing them then it’s time to move on to another chiropractor. Find the best chiropractor you can in your town or try these exercises. You won’t need to go to any chiropractor or physiotherapist.
Hope that helps your hyperlordosis.
Hello Doctor. I’m not sure f you can help with this one. I have what I would call a rounded back that I guess is similar to a mild “hunchback”. It is not too pronounced….except to me! Is there anything that can be done about this. I am a 61 year old man!
Many thanks for your time. JJ
Author
Thanks for your question JJ. Why don’t you try these exercises. https://www.bodiempowerment.com/advanced-posture-exercises/
As I don’t know if you have other problems like osteoporosis I would check in with your doctor before doing them or better your yet a chiropractor or physiotherapist familiar with the exercises.
Hope that helps your posture.
Thank you very much for your help. I will take your advice!
Author
You are welcome JJ.
Hi Dr. Ken, This is, by far, the best article I’ve found in addressing hyperlordosis. Every therapist, doctor and chiropractor I’ve visited seem to have a tendency to completely ignore this issue.
I’m 37 and have been suffering from hyperlordosis since ~ age 19. It’s getting worse and I feel like I’m closer to age 70 at this point. Also the issue is radiating throughout my body, and causing other issues. But, as I said, no doctor will even acknowledge the issue. After a recent x-ray, my primary care physician declared my lumbar in normal form. When I place my fingers around maybe L4, I can feel it’s significantly dipped in (feels almost like it’s slipped) compared to others adjacent. There is also a tendon that runs outside (post), over L4.
Sleeping is a challenge due to when I first start to fall asleep, my legs start jumping and at times I get anxiety. When I am standing or sitting for more than 30 seconds, I get a terrible pain in my back, as well as my legs.
Now I also have developed hypokyphosis (my guess is my body is trying to compensate for the lower back). A physical therapist put me on a regimen of stretching and strengthening my shoulder muscles. Also somewhere in this mix my T7 has a horizontal fracture right through it of unknown origin or age.
As I said I feel (I imagine) more than twice my age and I don’t have energy or tolerance for any pain to be able to enjoy life with my young children.
Do you have recommendations on how to correct the two simultaneously?
Thank you!!
Author
Thanks for your question Aaron. You have a bigger priority. You need to know the cause of this horizontal fracture. Your doctor can address the issue there may be a link between the T7 fracture and the hyperkyphosis. For example it can be osteoporosis or some other cause. This is important before you do any exercises for your spine.
Hope that helps.
Hello Doctor,
recently i was diagnosed with Loss of lordosis of lumbar spine and it has been hurting my lower back for almost a month now. Pain while changing body postures during sleep, during bending etc. I am wondering whether for this condition, we should keep the spine erect or in forward bending position. What are the best exercises for this condition and normally how much time does it take to get well from this conditions.
Thanks in Advance.
Author
Thanks for your question Vijay. Sounds like you have the exact opposite problem of the one described in this article. You should two of the exercises in this article. https://www.bodiempowerment.com/herniated-disc-part-2-the-best-exercises-for-your-herniated-disc/
The exercises are the Sphinx and the Cobra. Keep in mind any exercise can make you worse. I would have them supervised by a health care professional that is familiar with the exercises like a chiropractor or physiotherapist. If you start getting pain, numbness or tingling that goes further down into the leg than you are getting worse. You should then stop the exercises if you are getting worse.
Hope that helps correct your posture.
I wonder. what exactly is the loss of Lordosis. Does it mean the spine curve bending more inward or outward.
Author
Thanks for your question Vijay. The answer is in the article Vijay. It means that you have lost the curve in your spine, which usually refers to the curve in the lower back. The way you put it, the spine is more straight instead of being curved. I would not describe it as bending more outward or inward.
Hope that helps your posture.
Thanks a bunch Doctor. So nice of you to have answered my questions in a timely manner. Appreciate and stay blessed.
Author
You are welcome Vijay. Hope that helps your posture.
Hello Sir
I have been suffering from lower back pain for almost 5 months now, and a month ago i was diagnosed with Straightening of the spine in an x-ray, my pain has been changing since it occured, it was extremely bad in Feb March and April. Now it is not that bad but i could feel the pain all the time, sitting, standing, sleeping, walking (though walking makes it better). I could feel the pain more on the right side of my back n when i lie on my right side while sleeping, it hurts the most, though lying on left side isnt that painful, sleeping on my back with a pillow under my knee is the most comfortable but even then i feel the pain. In this month on some days i woke up without any pain n felt so good but usually i could feel the pain right away after i wake up like today. In March n April if i would hold or lift something of 1kg weight the pain in my back got double till i dont put it back. Lifting a 2 litre water bottle would give me a sharp pain instantly, now this has decreased to a great extent. I could now lift or hold that much weight but try to avoid doing that as much as possible.
Now let me tell you the reason why it started, on 8th Jan i was practicing sun salutation, and in the second step i bended back way too much than usual n several times, i did not feel pain or something at that time, but the next morning it was hurting very bad, the pain got even more intense in feb march and april.
Sir could you tell me are all these exercise that you have listed in this article will help me n if there is any that i should avoid and how many times n reps i should do them in a day?
Hoping for a quick reply 🙂
Author
Thanks for your question Sneha. Thanks for the great description of your pain. Your description is one of the best I have seen. https://www.bodiempowerment.com/herniated-disc-part-2-the-best-exercises-for-your-herniated-disc/
Sounds like a disc although I cannot confirm this diagnosis. These exercises should be supervised initially by somebody familiar with the exercises. Find the best chiropractor or best physiotherapist in your area and go over them. Medical doctors are not trained in rehabilitation, or treatments for the lower back.
Hope that helps your disc herniation.
Thanks a lot Dr. Ken for such a quick response. I was amazed when i noticed how well you have been responding to everyone’s question and problems since this article has been posted. How nice of you!
Thanks agian.
Author
You are welcome Sneha. Hope that helps your posture.
Hello Dr. Ken,
Thank you so much for your great article and advice on how to improve our posture with these exercises. I have been diagnosed with hyperlordosis since I was 10. Now at the age of 28, I’ve become more aware of this condition and would like to try these exercises to help me with the excessive arch in my lower back. However, I am not sure if I have been doing these exercises correctly since I am not good at following instructions in pictures, Therefore I would like to ask if you can post a video demonstrating these exercises so I can be certain that what I have been doing is correct. Thank you so much for your help and I really appreciate it.
Author
Thanks for your question Gwen. Why don’t you take each exercise and see if there is a corresponding video for the exercises I have posted. Just use my site as the reference to look up the exercises.
Hope that helps your hyperlordosis posture.
Hello sir..I am 4 months postpartum with cesarean section..I have a persistent belly pooch due to diastasis recti and I noticed dat I have hyperlordosis too..can I do these exercises ?? Or will it increase my diastasis recti..r these exercises safe to do now ??
Author
Thanks for your question. No exercises according to the research has been shown to improve diastasis recti. While most of the exercises should be safe except for lunge, plank and squats, I cannot recommend them as I don’t the extent of your diastasis recti.
I hope you heal soon.
I read your other article
The Big 5: Easy Exercises For Stabilizing Your Low Back – See more at: https://www.bodiempowerment.com/the-5-big-easy-exercises-for-stabilizing-your-low-back/#sthash.NGf6CSjD.dpuf
I have lordosis or hyper lordosis where my stomach sticks out and butt also. I am very skinny but look pregnant. Should I try these workouts from the other article above with the ones on this page? I had this issue since I was in my teens I’m 29 now. Is there a way to reach you and even pay for more consistent guidance? I’m from US but actually going to a bachelor party in Montreal next month! First time in Canada.
Author
Thanks for your question Phil. Montreal is a lively city that starts to come alive at 11 pm and goes very late. Welcome to Canada. If you speak French even better but in Montreal just English is fine.
As for the lordosis or too much of the lordosis called hyperlordosis, the exercises here in this article will help you much more. The other exercises on the link are stabilization exercises for the beginner so won’t help you much.
Hope that helps your posture.
Doctor thank you so much for responding. I usually do 3 sets of each of the stretches you list in this article for 20 second holds once per day. Do you recommend increasing that to more seconds or 3 times a day? For the exercises I usually do 3 sets for about 20-15 reps once a day? Should I also be increasing those? If you have a po box or Paypal I would like to donate somehow. You are helping all of us with this complicated problem for free. I appreciate it very much.
Author
Thanks for your question Phil. You seem to be doing fine with stretches and exercises as you are doing them. No need to increase them anymore.
Hope that helps your posture.
Thanks for the exercises. I’ve only been doing them for a few days and I’ve noticed a difference already. Even though I’m slim my lower back is so arched that my stomach sticks out and people ask me when my baby’s due!
Author
Thanks for your comment Alexis. Glad to hear the exercises for your posture are already working. Hope you don’t get any more comments about your baby being due unless you get pregnant.
Hi Dr. Ken.
I have had an extremely sore lower back for a very, very long time now and this has been the most useful information I have found. I believe that my lower back has extreme hyperlordosis. When I lay flat (which is extremely painful) the top halfnof my back is flat on the floor and then my tailbone and butt are the next thing flat on the ground. My tailbone sticks out dramatically when I am trying to lay flat and I have pain in the bone rather than just tissue and muscle pain. I can’t sit, stand, lay or bend without pain in my lower back. I saw my doctor and got told that the curvature in my back is ‘my normal curve’ and to give it awhile and it will be fine. Now, that was last year. Admittedly, it softened with medications but now it’s back at full bore and the standard pain relief has done nothing. I’ve also tried your stretches and exercises of which all of them hurt and I just can’t seem to do anything to relieve that pain. I’ve taken hot baths and just ended up stuck because I couldn’t sit forward or even stand back up. Please help me!
Author
Thanks for your question Jordiee. Why don’t you try repeated knee to chest exercises (lying down). You bring your knee to your chest hold for 1 sec and go back to neutral. Do this 10X. See if you are better or worse. They way you do this is before doing the stretch you check your forward and backward motion with your back (while standing). Bend forward and try to touch your toes. See where it hurts and how much. Then go backwards and see how far you can bend and where it hurts if it hurts. Then you do the knee to chest stretch. Now you do stand and check your forward and backward motion. If you are worse stop, if you are better then do the stretches again.
Do the stretches 4X a day if you are better. If you get worse then stop and find the best chiropractor in your area.
Hope that helps your posture.