Bridging Exercise

The Bridging Exercise, also known simply as “Bridge,” is a foundational movement often used in physical therapy, fitness routines, and yoga practices to strengthen the lower body and core. This exercise primarily targets the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and lower back, while also promoting stability and mobility in the pelvis and spine.

What is Bridging Exercise?

• A bridging exercise is a great closed-chain workout.
• This exercise strengthens the hip-back extensors and enhances the stability of the spine.
• Additionally, if the patient has back pain, this is the recommended course of action.
• It aids in improving the lumbo pelvic region’s motor control.
• We refer to this as a gluteal bridge.
• This is a weightlifting workout.

Which muscles are used in Bridging exercise?

• Core muscle
• Biceps femoris
• Semitendinosus
• Gracilis
• Gluteus maximus
• Gluteus medius
• Quadriceps
• Calves

What are the Health Benefits of bridging exercise?

• helps to relieve lower back pain.
• Boost the proprioception of the lumbar spine
• The back muscles contract as a result.
• Flexibility of the spine
• Minimize back and knee discomfort
• Make your abdominal and core muscles stronger.
• Boost your equilibrium
• Reduce back pain
• Boost your posture
• aids in mental calmness and stress reduction.
• Boost your running performance
• Improve your mood and lessen stress and exhaustion.
• Aid in alleviating the symptoms of menopause
• Assist in Reducing Menstrual Pain
• aid in stimulating the thyroid, lungs, and abdominal organs

How to do a bridging exercise?

• Lay on your back, feet flat, knees bent 90 degrees.
• Exhale, then raise your rear end off the ground.
• Your inner foot and thighs should remain parallel.
• Your spine should be in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• You can extend your arms down the floor.
• Ten seconds to one minute of holding.
• Now, lower your back to the ground and perform this five to ten times in a single session.
• Furthermore, you do this workout three times daily.

Bridging exercise Video:

What are the different types of bridging exercises?

Bridging exercise with Elevated Feet

• This workout requires both a mat and a bench.
• You must place your heels on the bench and rest flat on your back. You can add a little pillow beneath your head for extra comfort.
• You must now raise your back and buttocks off the floor while maintaining a straight line between your legs and shoulders.
• When you raise your body upward, maintain a neutral neck position. Take a deep breath.
• You have five seconds to stay in this posture. Now, slowly lower your body. and perform this workout eight or 10 times.

Single-Leg Bridge

• There is no equipment needed for this type of bridge.
• The hip extensor muscle can be isolated and strengthened with this exercise.
• You must perform this exercise while lying supine and keeping both of your hands straight.
• At this point, you must raise one leg approximately 45 degrees off the ground.
• A single-leg bridge starts in this position. The next step is to elevate your hip and back off the ground until your knees and shoulder are in a straight line, using your gluteal and abdominal muscles to support the lift.
• Hold for three to four seconds.
• With control, go slowly down your hips and back while maintaining a straight leg to get back to the beginning position.
• To prevent muscular imbalance, repeat this for the other leg. Do this two to three times a day and eight to ten times in a single session.
• This exercise aids in strengthening the lower back, increasing hip mobility, and stabilizing the spine.
• This will strengthen your core muscles.

Gluteal Bridge With Marching

• This exercise requires you to lie on your back, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor.
• This is the starting point.
• You now need to squeeze your core muscles to raise your back and buttocks.
• Pulling your leg closer to your chest is necessary for the gluteal bride march.
• Do this with both knees.
• For two sets, repeat six to seven times.
• These exercises improve your effectiveness in sports and running while strengthening your core muscles and assisting you in daily tasks.
• It maintains good posture, improves balance, and lessens back pain.

Legs pointed outward

• Ensure that your toes are turned outward at 45-degree angles and that your knees point in the same direction as your toes.
• Drive down into your feet while pushing your hips up. This variant should cause the outside of your thighs to become fatigued.
• Throughout the entire exercise, be careful to maintain your knees above your toes. Keep them from stepping on your toes.
• Allow your hips to return to the floor in a deliberate move.
• This concludes one repeat.
• Do three rounds of a 30-second hold or three sets of 15 repetitions.

Legs pointed forward

• Make sure your toes are pointed directly in front and your thighs are parallel to each other.
• Drive down into your feet while pushing your hips up. The inner of your thighs should become fatigued from this version.
• Throughout the entire exercise, be careful to maintain your knees above your toes.
• Allow your hips to return to the floor in a deliberate move.
• This concludes one repeat.
• Do three rounds of a 30-second hold or three sets of 15 repetitions.

Press through the heels

• Begin by lying flat on your back, legs bent at a 90-degree angle, and feet resting on the floor.
• Raise your hips and push your weight down via your heels.
• This version should cause your glutes and rear legs to become fatigued.
• As you drive up, lift your toes off the ground to ensure that you are focusing on the back of your thighs.
• Allow your hips to return to the floor in a deliberate move.
• This concludes one repeat.
• Do three rounds of a 30-second hold or three sets of 15 repetitions.

Press through the toes

• Start by lying on your back with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet flat on the ground.
• Raise your hips, push your weight through your toes, and lift your heels.
• As you drive up, lift your toes off the ground to ensure that you are focusing on the back of your thighs.
• Allow your hips to return to the floor in a deliberate move.
• This concludes one repeat.
• Do three rounds of a 30-second hold or three sets of 15 repetitions.

What are the common mistakes people make during the bridge exercise?

1. Hyperextending the lower back: At the height of the exercise, people frequently make the error of overarching their lower back. This may cause excessive strain on the lower back and lessen the exercise’s benefits.
2. Not engaging the core: To balance the body and safeguard the lower back, the abs and obliques, two core muscles, should be used throughout the activity. Lower back pain may result from not using the core.
3. Not squeezing the glutes: The main muscles that should be engaged during the bridge exercise are the glutes. You could not be using your glutes correctly if you don’t feel a significant contraction in them.
4. Lifting the shoulders off the ground: Throughout the exercise, the shoulders should stay on the ground. By raising them off the ground, you may change the exercise’s emphasis from the hamstrings and glutes to the upper back.
5. Not keeping the feet flat on the ground: the heels should be firmly planted. The exercise may be less effective and there is a higher chance of injury if the heels lift off the floor.
6. Going too high: You don’t have to lift your hips as high as you can for the bridge exercise. Going too high can make lower back discomfort more likely. Concentrate on a deliberate motion and a strong gluteal contraction.
7. Not controlling the descent: It is important to descend slowly and deliberately. Steer clear of rapidly lowering your hips to the floor, since this might also raise your risk of lower back injury.

when are you not to do this exercise?

• Final stages of pregnancy
• Have just delivered
• Healing from any surgery
• Injury to your back, abdominal, pelvis, hip joints, knees, or ankles.
• Abdominal hernia
• Abdominal Pain
• Any tingling or burning sensation in the thighs and legs

FAQs

References:

• Salyer, J. (2020, June 27). How to Perform 5 Variations of the Glute Bridge Exercise. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/glute-bridge-variations
• Ms, E. Q. (2024c, June 5). Glute Bridge Exercise: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes. Verywell Fit. https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-the-bridge-exercise-3120738
• Hamilton, V. (2024, December 8). How to Do a Glute Bridge. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/how-to-do-glute-bridge
• Bridges. (n.d.). [Video]. Hingehealth. https://www.hingehealth.com/resources/articles/bridge-exercise/