Pilates Tip: The Shoulder Bridge
What are we working on in The Shoulder Bridge?
In the Shoulder Bridge, we are strengthening our glutes and hamstrings while extending the hip (the exact opposite action of our hip flexors, which is why you *might* feel a stretch sensation in your quads/thighs.)
I love this exercise because we sit and stand a lot in our daily life. This exercise gets our head below our heart and hips up, the gentlest form of an inversion. I also really like it because it doubles as a therapeutic and healing pose, but if you're in the mood for a challenge, this exercise is a great place to add fun progressions (like lifting one leg, adding a ball, and so much more.)
Here's a little guide I made to help you get the most out of your position in The Shoulder Bridge.
If your lower back feels yucky in your bridges, this tip is for you!
For simplicities sake, we will look at our Level 2/Intermediate Shoulder Bridge, and this tip does not apply to the Level 3/Contrology/Advanced version, but it is essential to master before you proceed!
This tip demonstrated above will help you focus on your hips in extension, think of it as an active thigh stretch. If you compare the two positions in the second slide, you’ll notice the top bridge looks a lot more like a wheel and the second version is a straight diagonal line from knee to shoulder. The Pubic bone is higher than the hips and the hips are higher than the lower ribs. This is the ideal position for our Level 2 Shoulder Bridge.
Why is this important?
It is, and it isn't at the end of the day. However, our body is smart and will do whatever it can to achieve what we tell it to do. So, if you have tight hips and attempt to lift yourself as HIGH as you can, you might find yourself only extending through the lower back and not doing any of the hip extension to create the shape. Dangerous? Not necessarily, but wouldn't your hips love some of that ooey-gooey traction?! I think so! Plus, some may even feel the lower back fatigue and cramp up, which isn’t pleasant.
The last thing to keep in mind is it's easier for us to pop into the wheel and more challenging to keep this organized diagonal line. Hip extension isn't natural for us, whereas lumbar extension is. This is why it's important to master the hip extension first! If you want a visual/explanation to learn more, please scrub to the 7-minute mark of this tutorial below to learn about the most common mistakes and how to correct them (or watch the whole thing!)
Like anything, we are all unique, and I always recommend you try these tips out for yourself, take what resonates and leave behind what doesn't.
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Best,
Kala from QB