Do glute bridges
Lift your hips off the floor to strengthen the buttock muscles that sitting tends to switch off.
- How often
- Daily
- Time
- 3 min
- Recommended for
- 25 factors
How to do it
- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart, arms at your sides.
- Tighten your stomach muscles and squeeze your buttocks.
- Press through your heels to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line. Do not arch your lower back.
- Hold for about 3 to 5 seconds, then lower slowly.
- Do 10 repetitions. Work up to 2 to 3 sets.
Why it helps
The glutes extend your hips and steady your pelvis when you walk, climb and lift. Long hours of sitting leave them underused, and weak glutes are linked to more load on the lower back and knees. Bridges strengthen them without equipment.
Be careful
Stop if you feel sharp pain in your back or hips. If you have back pain that persists, see a doctor or physical therapist.
Recommended for
Airline pilot
Long seated duty days across time zones and through the night.
hobbyBasketball
Jumps, hard landings and sudden cuts, game after game.
habitBinge-watching on the couch
One more episode, slumped into the cushions, snack within reach.
hobbyDIY home improvement
Ladders, power tools, heavy lifting and dust from old materials.
hobbyDancing
Jumps, turns and hours on the balls of your feet.
hobbyGardening
Kneeling, digging, lifting and pulling weeds for hours in the sun.
occupationLandscaper
Mowing, digging and lifting outdoors in every kind of weather.
habitLong commute by car
An hour or more a day seated, braced and on alert behind the wheel.
occupationMassage therapist
Your hands are the tool, and your body is the lever behind them.
hobbyMountain biking
Rough trails, steep drops and a lot of jolting through your arms.
occupationNurse
Twelve-hour shifts on your feet, lifting, turning and rarely sitting down.
occupationOffice worker
Desk, chair, screen, meetings, repeat.
habitParenting young children
Lifting, carrying, bending and rocking all day, on broken sleep.
occupationPolice officer
Long shifts in a patrol car, heavy gear and moments of high stress.
occupationRideshare and delivery driver
In and out of the car all day, on a clock, chasing the next order.
hobbyRoad cycling
Hours bent over the bars, legs spinning thousands of turns per ride.
hobbyRunning
Thousands of footstrikes a week, mostly through your shins, knees and feet.
hobbySkiing and snowboarding
Speed, twisting falls and long days in cold, bright mountain air.
hobbySoccer
Running, cutting, kicking and contact for ninety minutes.
occupationSoftware engineer
Long hours seated, eyes on screens, hands on keys.
habitStanding desk user
Swapped the chair for standing, and found standing has its own costs.
occupationStay-at-home parent
Lifting, carrying and caring around the clock, with little time for yourself.
occupationTruck driver
Long hours behind the wheel, irregular sleep and food from truck stops.
occupationWarehouse worker
Picking, packing and lifting at speed, miles of walking a shift.
hobbyYoga
Deep stretches and long holds that can push joints past their limits.