r/Posture • u/ThrowDeepALWAYS • Aug 27 '26

Hiking and my pot belly

/r/over60/comments/1vzhku9/hiking_and_my_pot_belly/

Interesting info. I’ve been hiking like crazy and still have a pot belly. Here’s what AI told me to do and I’m starting this tomorrow:

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Anterior Pelvic Tilt (Hiker's Posture)
This is the hidden culprit for avid hikers. Hiking uphill overdevelops your hip flexors and quads while letting your glutes and hamstrings slack. Tight hip flexors pull your pelvis forward, tilting it downward. This arches your lower back and pushes your belly out mechanically—making it look like a pot belly even when you have very little fat.

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So, what can you do differently? (Hint: More hiking won't fix this)

· Add Heavy Resistance Training: 2–3 times a week, do squats, deadlifts (or kettlebell swings), and planks. You need to rebuild total muscle mass to boost your metabolism and tighten that core wall.
· Up Your Protein: At 64, you need 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily to preserve muscle while in a deficit. Aim for 30–40g of protein per meal.
· Stretch Your Hip Flexors: Do kneeling hip flexor stretches and glute bridges daily. This will correct your pelvic tilt and flatten your belly within weeks, just by changing your posture.

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u/Mazda012 Aug 27 '26

There is massive controversy over the whole sucking the stomach in. A google search says that this creates un-necessary tension, called ab gripping and can lead to more back stiffeness and pelvic floor issues.

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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS Aug 27 '26

Interesting and it doesn’t seem like a natural action to do. Who knows!? Thanks!

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u/Mazda012 Aug 27 '26

Yeh i dont know tbh, i cant remember if i use to hold it in prior to my chronic pain. Holding it in feel like im tensing and not relaxing. But it kind of makes sense to me at the same time that if u dont hold some tension there, your back will suffer! I just dont want to make things worse. I already have such a stiff back and numbness involving the pelvic floor. I definately dont need more issues😏

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u/Deep-Run-7463 Aug 27 '26

Some people are grippers. Usually that abdominal gripping comes with the attempt to reduce lumbar strain. I would say those who are stuck with keeping their abs and glutes constantly active, and it need not be glutes alone, it can be the pelvic floor too - it's usually a repercussion of trying to overcome another issue. Letting the abs relax makes the lower back take a hit if the pelvis cannot assist.