Gluteal Strengthening for a stronger Back

Looking for some fresh inspiration on the bridge exercise? See below or check out the video for some variations to try!

The bridge is a commonly used exercise to help with rehabilitation of many areas of the body; including lower back, hips, knees and ankles. When doing a bridge you should feel activation in your hamstrings (back of your leg) and gluts (buttocks). You should not feel pain in your lower back. 

 Double leg bridge:

The base level bridge is the double leg bridge. You should start with both feet on the ground and the knees bent to roughly 90 degrees. There should be a small gap under your lower back, meaning your pelvis is in a neutral position. To begin, tuck your hip bones up towards your eyes, squashing the space underneath the lower back. From here, try and peel one back bone off the floor at a time until your hips are in a diagonal line to your shoulders. To come back down, think about melting your rib cage into the back of the mat, before rolling down through each back bone. Make sure you return to your neutral spine in between each rep. 

BANDED BRIDGES:

Theraband can be useful to further assist glut activation. Commence in the same start position, with the Theraband in a loop above your knees. Throughout the bridge, push the knees outwards into the band. If you like, you can add a hold at the top of your bridge and add some pulses of the knees outwards. 

BALL SQUEEZES: 

If we’re looking to include our inner thighs and abdominal muscles more, add something in between the knees at the start position. Use an item such as a ball, pillow or rolled up towel. Throughout the bridge, push the knees inwards, or you can try some pulses at the top of your bridge as above.  

Bridge Marches:

Once you’ve mastered the double leg bridge, you can start to challenge your stability and strength further by working on one leg at a time. For this variation, lift off the hips as previously. Once at the top of your bridge, you can march the legs, lifting one leg at a time. The challenge here lies in making sure both hips bones continue to face the ceiling, ensuring the pelvis doesn’t rock side to side.

Single leg bridge

This last variation of the bridge is a real challenge for your strength, stability and coordination! Start the bridge as previously, lifting off one leg as in your marches. From here, lengthen the leg towards the ceiling. From here (maintaining your lifted hips), lift and lower the leg a few times, keeping the rest of the body as still as possible.

Remember your home exercise program should always be pain free. 

Kind regards, 

Annissa Harwood

Physiotherapist BSc Physiotherapy (Hons)

Member of Dance Physiotherapy Network Australia