This is a favorite 'go to' exercise for a great number of the patients in my clinic. Patients with the following conditions have a tendency to have decreased spinal stability while extending their hips:
- Herniated lumbar spine discs
- Sciatica
- Back Pain
- Hip impingement
- Patellar tendonitis
- Meniscus tears
- Sacroiliac dysfunction
When there is decreased spinal stability with hip extension, there will be excessive and destructive movement in the pelvis and lower back. This adds a great deal of stress to the areas and opens the door to injuries like low back pain. To deal with this I like starting off my patients with this pilates and physiotherapy exercise:
Pointers:
- Start with both feet on the floor, if that's easy then progress
- Hug one knee towards your chest. Don't bring the knee up too far though because then you're tilting your pelvis, which we don't want
- If you had discomfort or difficulty with the single leg bridge, squeeze your hands together in front of you to activate your spinal stabilizers.
- Don't let yourself hold your breathe and hold the bridge for 2-3 seconds