Bridging Exercise (For glute and core activation)

The bridging exercise is a simple yet powerful movement that targets the core, glutes, and lower back. It’s widely used in strength training, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. Whether you’re looking to improve posture, increase glute strength, or relieve lower back pain, incorporating the bridge into your routine can deliver significant benefits.

At Invigor Health, we specialize in personalized physiotherapy programs, offering guidance on bridging exercises to ensure you perform them safely and effectively. This guide will walk you through the bridge exercise muscles worked, its benefits, and variations to suit different fitness levels and rehabilitation needs.

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What is the Bridge Exercise?

The bridge exercise, also known as pelvic bridging exercise, is a bodyweight movement that targets multiple muscles, primarily in the lower body. The exercise involves lifting the hips off the ground while keeping your feet planted, forming a “bridge” with your body.

This movement strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, core, and lower back, and can be a crucial part of both fitness training and physical therapy.

Bridging Exercise Benefits

The benefits of bridge exercise extend beyond just strengthening the lower body. Here are some of the top reasons to incorporate this movement into your workout:

  1. Improves Core Strength: The bridge targets your abdominal muscles, helping to improve stability and posture.
  2. Strengthens Glutes and Hamstrings: By engaging your glutes and hamstrings, it contributes to lower body strength and can improve athletic performance.
  3. Relieves Lower Back Pain: The bridge strengthens the muscles of the lower back and pelvis, reducing strain and improving mobility.
  4. Promotes Better Posture: By strengthening the core and back, the bridge exercise helps improve posture.
  5. Hip Flexor Stretch: The movement also stretches the hip flexors, helping to relieve tightness, especially after prolonged sitting.

Bridge Exercise Muscles Worked

The glute bridge muscles worked include several key muscle groups:

  • Glutes: The primary muscle group targeted by the bridge. This movement helps strengthen and activate the glutes, promoting better hip extension.
  • Hamstrings: Engaged to assist with lifting the hips during the movement.
  • Lower Back: The back bridge exercise works the muscles in the lower back, particularly the erector spinae, helping to stabilize the spine.
  • Core Muscles: The pelvic bridge exercise engages your core, improving stability and promoting better posture.

Understanding the muscles worked during the bridge exercise allows you to see its effectiveness in strengthening and toning the body.

How to Perform the Bridge Exercise Step-by-Step

Here’s how to perform the bridge exercise correctly:

  1. Set Your Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Keep your arms by your sides with palms facing down.
  2. Engage Your Core: Tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze your glutes. Keep your back straight and avoid arching your lower back.
  3. Lift Your Hips: Press your heels into the floor as you lift your hips toward the ceiling. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
  4. Hold the Position: Squeeze your glutes at the top and hold for a few seconds.

Lower Slowly: Lower your hips back to the floor in a controlled motion.

How to perform bridging, benefits , and ways of bridge exercise
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Variations of the Bridge Exercise

If you’re looking to increase the challenge or focus on specific areas, there are several variations of the bridging exercise you can try:

  • Single-Leg Bridge: Lift one leg off the floor while keeping your hips elevated, focusing on one side of the body at a time.
  • Hip Bridge Exercise: Perform the standard bridge, but with your feet further apart to engage the inner thighs.
  • Back Bridge: This variation targets the upper back by using an arching motion, helping to improve mobility in the spine.
  • Pelvic Bridge Exercise: Similar to the glute bridge, but with more emphasis on tilting your pelvis and activating the lower core muscles.

Bridging Exercise in Pregnancy

For pregnant women, bridging exercise in pregnancy can be an excellent way to strengthen the pelvic floor, glutes, and lower back. However, it’s important to perform these exercises under the guidance of a healthcare professional to ensure safety.

The bridge can help with:

  • Pelvic floor strengthening can be beneficial during labor.
  • Reducing lower back pain caused by the extra weight during pregnancy.
  • Improving posture may help with the postural changes that occur during pregnancy.

Always consult with a physiotherapist before starting any new exercise routine during pregnancy.

Bridge Workout: A Full-Body Routine

Here’s how you can incorporate the bridge exercise into a bridge workout routine:

  1. Standard Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 12 reps.
  2. Single-Leg Bridge: 3 sets of 8 reps per leg.
  3. Hip Bridge Exercise: 2 sets of 15 reps.
  4. Back Bridge: 2 sets, holding for 10 seconds.

This routine targets the glutes, lower back, and core, offering a comprehensive lower-body workout that also engages the muscles worked in the bridge.

Bridging Exercise for Physical Therapy

Bridges’ physical therapy is widely used for rehabilitation, particularly for those recovering from back pain, hip surgery, or knee injuries. It’s an excellent exercise to regain mobility, improve strength, and prevent future injury.

Key Benefits in Physical Therapy:

  • Strengthens lower back muscles to prevent future back pain.
  • Improves hip mobility and strengthens the hip bridge muscles.
  • Enhances core stability, crucial for overall movement efficiency.

The bridge exercise offers numerous benefits for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Whether you’re a beginner looking to tone your glutes or someone in physical therapy recovering from back pain, the bridging can be a game-changer.

At Invigor Health, we’re here to guide you through your pelvic bridge exercise journey with personalized physiotherapy programs to ensure optimal performance and recovery. Book a consultation today and start building a stronger, more resilient body!

Need Personalised Physiotherapy Support?

If exercises alone are not enough, our physiotherapists in Bondi Junction and Maroubra can assess your condition and tailor treatment to your needs.

BONDI JUNCTION
MAROUBRA

Exercise For You

Strengthening Exercises
  • Pelvic Tilts
  • Dead Bugs
  • Superman Exercise
  • Bracing Techniques
  • Cobra Stretch
  • Low-Impact Walking
  • Cycling
  • Swimming
  • Rowing Machine
  • Tai Chi for Balancing
  • Heel-to-Toe Walking
  • Motor Control Exercises
  • Coordination Drills
  • Shoulder External Rotation
  • Hip Replacement Exercises
  • Knee Replacement Rehabilitation
  • Ankle Mobilizations
  • Diaphragmatic Breathing
  • Pursed Lip Breathing
  • Box Breathing
  • Pilates Leg Circles
  • Pilates Roll-Ups
  • Plank Variations
  • Bridge with Marching

Frequently Asked Questions

The bridge exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, core and lower back muscles, improving hip extension and trunk stability

Benefits include stronger glutes and core, better posture and reduced lower‑back pain, and improved hip mobility—especially useful if you sit a lot

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, engage your core and glutes, then lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees—hold, then lower with control.

Yes. Because the bridge strengthens hip extensors and core stabilisers, it can relieve back pain and support better posture and pelvic alignment