How to do a glute bridge

Teach: How to do a glute bridge

What to say

Do a glute bridge lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart, about a hand's length from your glutes. Tuck your pelvis slightly, squeeze your glutes and press through your heels to lift your hips until your body makes a straight line from shoulders to knees. Pause, then lower slowly. The work should be felt in the glutes, not the lower back.

What to show, in order

1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart, and arms by your sides.
2. Bring your heels close enough to brush them with your fingertips.
3. Flatten your lower back gently by tucking your pelvis.
4. Squeeze your glutes and press through your heels to lift your hips.
5. Stop at a straight line from shoulders to knees, without arching the lower back.
6. Pause for two seconds at the top, then lower slowly.
7. Try it with one leg straight once both-leg bridges feel easy.

When to stop and call a professional

• You have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a recent injury or surgery, or you are unsure whether exercise is safe for you: ask a clinician before you start.
• You feel chest pain, pressure, faintness or unusual breathlessness: stop and call your local emergency number, 911 in the US.
• You feel pain in the lower back or hips rather than muscle effort: stop and ask a clinician or physical therapist.

The check question

Ask: Where should the top of a bridge stop? Answer: At a straight line from shoulders to knees

From EveryManKnows. General information, not professional advice.