Glute bridge
Strengthens the hips and eases a tired lower back. Safe in pregnancy and after birth.
Area
Knee and hip
Sets
3
Each set
12, holding 3 seconds
How often
Four days a week
How to do it
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hip width apart.
Breathe out, gently draw in your pelvic floor and press through your heels.
Lift your hips until your body is a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Hold for three seconds, then lower one vertebra at a time.
Why it helps
Strong glutes take load off the knees and the lower back. The bridge trains them with the floor supporting the rest of you.
Common mistakes
Arching the lower back at the top. Lift only as high as you can keep your ribs down, and squeeze the buttocks rather than pushing the belly up.
