Sit on the floor makes low back round

Question

I want to sit on the floor but it causes my low back to round. I can feel the vertebrae sticking out and it's fully rounded. I can't straighten it because it feels like my hamstrings are too tight to allow my pelvis to tilt to 90 or better. It's stuck tilted slightly backward.

When I'm standing, my pelvis is slightly tilted forward like it should be and my low back is in good position.

So should I be able to get normal pelvic tilt while sitting on the floor (in any position, including legs out straight) and does this mean my hamstrings are too tight and I should stretch them?

Answer 1

If your posture is good while standing, and while seated in a chair, I wouldn't worry about the back rounding while sitting feet forward on the floor. That's very natural, because the pelvis will tilt posteriorally in that position, and this will cause your lower back to round off.

That said, you could include this into your stretching routine: Sit, as you describe, with your legs straight, pointing forward, with your back against the wall, your butt scooched all the way in.

Try to arch your back in this position, and try again to see which body part is stopping you from achieving this. If, still, it's the hamstrings, then by all means, make sure you stretch them. But don't overdo it, and don't over-focus on it. The hamstrings serve a purpose, and if you stretch them too much, you might cause an anterior pelvic tilt further down the road.

You should stretch the entire area around your lower back; front and rear.