Posture: Correct the Exaggerated Arch in Your Lower Back with these Easy Posture Exercises

By Dr Ken Nakamura+

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Wouldn’t you like to have good posture? If you want to correct the exaggerated curve in your back, you can do that with exercise.

Do you suffer from lower back pain? It’s likely because you have a larger than normal arch in your spine.

In this article, I reveal the basic exercises to correct your increased lower back posture. I’ve added some advanced exercises you can do after you’ve mastered the basics.

Posture: Correct An Excessive Low Back Curve

Your lower back and your neck both curve forward, the curve is called a lordosis. It is normal posture to have a lordosis in your neck and lower back.

While surfing the net, I’ve noticed a lot of incorrect information out there on posture. Many web sites are giving out the wrong information and it seems like there are many copies of this same wrong information on many other websites.

See Also: 4 Upper Back Exercises To Improve Posture 

As a practicing Chiropractor, I’d like to make sure you have correct information as you research posture.

When your lordosis has more of a curve than average, it’s called hyperlordosis. Hyper means excessive, as in a hyperactive child. So, the term, hyperlordosis means excessive lordosis in your posture.

The picture above shows a woman with hyperlordosis of the lower back, with no lordosis of the neck. “Hypo” means less of or deficient so she is hypolordotic.


You may have hyperlordotic posture, which is not causing you any pain. That’s great but take measures to correct the problem now. You are at higher risk of developing osteoarthritis in your joints and in the discs of your lower spine.

See Also: Advanced Posture Exercises For Your Rounde Upper Back

Furthermore, if you take action now, you can make your butt look smaller. I am not actually making your butt smaller. I’m just making your butt look smaller by teaching you the exercises that will put your pelvis in the proper position. The exercises will decrease your lordosis. Same butt – different look.

Hyperlordosis Posture is caused by:

A:  Tight muscles

• Your low back muscles run on either side of the spine, they are called the erector spinae.
• Your hip flexor muscle is called the psoas

B:  Weak Muscles:

• Your gluteus maximus muscle gives your butt its shape.
• Your abdominal muscles. Namely, the rectus abdominus are the six-pack muscles that everyone wants to have. It’s just that for most of us (like me) those muscles are hidden in fat.

The problem with the hyperlordosis posture is there is an imbalance between muscles. Some muscles are too tight and pull hard in one direction and others are too weak and don’t pull enough, these imbalances increase the curve in your spine.

How Do You Fix Your Posture Then?

First, Stretch the Tight Muscles Then Strengthen the Weak Muscles.

A: Arch Your Lower Back Like The Cow 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.
• 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 a shoulder width apart with your knees turned out slightly more than your feet turn out.
• Stick out your butt as far as you can but keep your lower back arched.
• Touch the chair and come right back up 10X – do 3 sets.

B:    Single Leg Squat To Improve Your Posture. When you can do three sets of the 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.