Bridge Exercise – Experts Guide That Can Boost Your Spine

For a long time, people took care of their health and fitness and discovered new methods to preserve them, like fast walking, wrestling, and recently bodybuilding sports, like back bridge exercise. 

Bodybuilding sports was discovered in 1901 by Eugen Sandow.

Then, these sports pursue to develop until it reaches its current shape.

From a medical view, all these sports are considered to have significant importance and benefits.

Overview of back bridge exercises 

The back bridge exercise is a highly underrated bodybuilding exercise.

But it was considered as one of the most exercises that improve the flexibility of the spinal cord and strengthen some other muscles.

Like all other exercises, it has variations. It is used commonly as a warm-up exercise in association with other workout exercises.

Back bridge exercise and lower back pain

Back bridge exercises help to strengthen the lower back and hip muscles, hence stabilizing the spinal cord. But how do I write in my title “lower back pain”?

Don’t worry -dear reader-, this condition happens when you lift your back very high (to exceed your ability).

Lifting your back very high will compress your lower back spines, this compression may cause pain and disability to continue exercising.

Attention: if you experienced moderate to acute pain while doing back bridges, stop it, and ask a doctor immediately.

How can I perform the Back Bridge Exercise properly (in general)?

1. Lie on your back, hands on both sides, knees bent, and feet flat below your knees on the floor.
2. By pressing your lower back into the ground, tighten your abdominal and buttocks muscles.
3. Build a straight line from your knees to your shoulders by lifting your hips.
4. Squeeze your core and bring it back towards your spine with your belly button.
5. Keep for 20 to 30 seconds, then go back to the starting spot.
6. Repeat it 10 times every set, 2 sets a day.

What are the types of back bridge exercises?

Beginning to do a back bridge exercise once a week will give you nice results.

Short Bridges

If you are a beginner, you have to start with the most simple types, then keep improving increasingly.

It is the best choice for you as a beginner or previously injured in your back.

You can consider it as the start point to strengthen your back, buttocks, and hamstring muscles.

Straight Bridges

Straight bridges are the next level after short ones as a progression of improvement.

Guidelines to do:

• With your legs straight, lie on your back.
• On the outside of your hips, put your hands on the floor.
• Pointing your fingers towards your toes. 
• As you do so, force yourself up on your knees, raise your hips and squeeze your butt. 
• Keep for a second, then back down lower.
• Repeat it 25 – 30 times every set, 2 sets a day.

Elevated Bridges

Here we go through! 

Elevated bridges are the precursor step for doing full bridges, and it helps you strengthen your muscles largely. 

Guidelines to do:

• Sit in front of a bench or elevated & robust surface that’s around 50 cm high or higher. 
• Face away from the bench, and let your hands on the surface with your fingers pointing to your feet.
• Place your feet on the bench.
• Press your hands, straighten your arms, lift your legs, and arch your back.
• As high as you can, hold your hips up, then back down later.
• Repeat it 15 times every set, 2 sets a day.

Full Bridges

Guidelines to do:

• Stretch on your back on the concrete.
• Bend your legs, and put your hand on the sides of your shoulders.
• Let your fingers pointing towards your toes.
• Pressure up your legs, around your back, and as you do so, pinch your buttocks, abdominal, and leg muscles.
• Force your shoulders through so it gets a nice stretch, and take a deep breath. 
• Keep for a second, then back down later.
• Repeat it 15 times every set, 2 sets a day.

Bridge Walk-Downs

Bridge walk-downs are the first step of advanced back bridge exercises. 

Firstly, you may feel afraid to do them but trust in yourself that you will get it in the right way, and you will succeed.

Guidelines to do:

• Stand a little bit away from a wall
• Your face facing away from the wall.
• Lean backward, round your back, and squeeze your buttocks until the wall hits your hands. Walk your hands down the wall as slowly, as possible you can.
• To get into a full bridge, you should reach the floor. 
• Once you are unable to walk down more or you reach actually, sit down, stand again and repeat it.
• Repeat it 10 times every set, 2 sets a day.

Bridge Walk-Ups

The previous step of stand to the stand bridges (hardest one), and are more tough exercises than bridge walk downs.

Guidelines to do:

• The same steps of bridge walk-downs till you reach full bridge position.
• To get you far from the wall and stand up again, use your hands to walk back up the wall.
• Squeezing your buttocks and moving your hips slightly forward. 
• Repeat it 8 times every set, 2 sets a day.

Stand to Stand Bridge Exercise

The professional and most advanced form of back bridge exercises.

You have to go through previous back bridges in the right way to get this stage without health complications.

Guidelines to do:

• Stand up straight, and then move back to execute a Closing Bridge.
• Move your weight forward through your thighs from this position.
• Bend your knees as you straighten your arms.
• As you press through the hands, keep moving your weight steadily forward by raising the palms off the floor and press through fingerprints.
• Repeat it 8 times every set, 2 sets a day.

What are the benefits of back bridge exercise?

1. Strengthen back, thigh, gluteal, and spinal muscles.
2. Make the spine and lower back very flexible to afford heavyweights.
3. Improve posture and reduce back pain if they are done properly.
4. If you preserve to do them, you will have SIX PACK ABS for sure.

Are back bridge exercises useful for obesity?

This is a normal core exercise that focuses on the preservation of moderate muscle contraction. Hamstrings, glutes, and quads are also recruited to assist with strength training and weight loss.

They can produce marked changes over time and will help you reduce knee and back pain.

What are the adverse effects of Back Bridge Exercise (If not done properly)?

Back hyperextension that is formed through back bridges puts marked compressive forces on your spine. These forces can hurt the discs between your vertebrae in turn and weaken your spine over time.

According to Stanford Hospital and Clinics, spondylolysis sometimes results from continuous hyperextension movements because it weakens the spinal restraining structures.

Lower back pain, stiffness radiating down your legs and a sensation that your hamstrings are painfully tight are symptoms of the side effects of back bridge exercises.

Finally,

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done,”

Thomas Jefferson

So, you have to start right now and move your body to the next step. The Back bridge exercise is your first step to achieve your goal, lose weight, stretch your body. 

However, most people don’t recognize how important this exercise is in the fitness world.

To end up, goodbye -dear reader- in another fitness article coming soon, keep close.