Key learnings:
- Learn about the hip bridge exercise and its process.
- Learn about the types of hip bridge exercises.
- Discover the benefits of the hip bridge exercise.
No one should spend most of their time lying down or sitting. Because when you spend most of your day sitting or lying down, your gluteal muscles start to weaken. When the flexors in the front of your thighs get smaller, they are tight, causing you to bend over, because the tight flexors in your hips will pull you forward and your glue isn’t strong enough to pull you right.
But when you practice the glute bridge regularly, you will notice that your muscles will become stronger to keep your body straight. Glue bridges allow you to train your lower body without the challenge of grip. It has become important especially for athletes to recover from surface body injuries where they could not squat, deadlift, or place barbells on their back.
If your glutes and spinal erector are strong, it helps you keep your posture straight when you stand or sit all day.
What is the hip bridge exercise and how to do it?
To perform a basic hip bridge, bend your knees and begin lying on your back with your feet on the floor. Next, push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to raise your hips. Hold your hips high for the count, then lower them to the floor and repeat. This means you have done your first hip bridge exercise.
Depending on your hip bridge variety, you can work most or all of the following muscles:
- There are three gluteal muscles: the major, the medium and the small.
- Hamstrings
- Heart
- Loins
- Calves
How to do hip bridge exercises now? Okay, let’s look at the following points:
- First, you lie face down on the floor, bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands next to you, keeping your palms facing down.
- Now lift your hips off the floor until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line.
- Hold those glutes tight and keep your abs tight so you don’t overstretch your back during the exercise.
- Before lowering, hold your bridged position for a few seconds.
You can aim for two or three sets of 15 to 20 bridges two to three times per week.
What muscle does the hip bridge target?
We’ve already seen that there are three glute muscles, including the major, middle, and minor, which serve as targets for the hip bridge. The gluteal bridge primarily serves the gluteal muscles.
The glutes are one of the strongest and most powerful muscles in the human body. This hip bridge exercise will help the gluteal muscles work and strengthen as a unit of the hip joint.
Hip bridges come in all shapes and sizes so you can make a variety of changes based on your preferences, fitness level, and mobility.
Hip bridges with calf raises
If you want to challenge the back of your foot, this new version of the old choice is for you. Tighten your hip muscles and bring your butt into bridge position. Keeping your hips high, lift them above your toes. Now place your shoulders on the mat, hold and lower your legs and hips. Repeat the exercise, making sure to always keep your hips level.
Single Leg Hip Bridges
If basic hip bridges don’t seem like enough of a challenge, try splitting one leg at a time. Taking one foot out of the equation will check your balance and force you to dig deeper to keep your hips as high as when both feet were on the ground.
What are the benefits of bridge exercises?
Hip bridge exercises are important for any fitness routine. You can get many benefits from hip bridge working during your sweat session.
Develop strength: According to Lee, hip bridges work together on the back, lower and back of your legs to build muscle and strength. It strengthens your legs and core and further improves your work capacity.
Improved squat and deadlift performance: The glutes are involved in deep squats and deadlifts as secondary movers. Strong glutes can help increase overall hip extension, which is key to pulling all the posterior chains, such as squats (back, front, and bottom bar squats), as well as deadlifts, deadlifts, Romanian lands, snatches and even jumps.
Increase stability: The hip bridge strengthens your core while creating stability, giving you the ability to brace yourself against unwanted movements. And better stability means you can perform everyday tasks more easily.
Jump higher and sprint faster: Hip bridges are also useful for athletes to help them run faster and jump higher because they strengthen the hip and leg muscles used in these activities.
Improve posture: Creating a strong core can also improve your posture, because you’ll have the strength to keep your spine aligned. Exercises such as the hip bridge can prevent your shoulders from rounding by strengthening the opposite position.
Reduce the risk of injury: Training exercises like a hip bridge can strengthen your connective tissues and joints, which can prevent overuse injuries.
Conclusion
Hip bridge exercise is a simple and effective exercise that can be connected to exercise routine. This exercise can be a staple in your warm-up routine because it’s a quick and easy way to activate the glutes.