{"id":180717,"date":"2025-06-13T09:21:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T09:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/180717\/"},"modified":"2025-06-13T09:21:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T09:21:10","slug":"level-up-your-glute-bridges-and-reduce-back-pain-by-making-this-simple-tweak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/180717\/","title":{"rendered":"Level up your glute bridges and reduce back pain by making this simple tweak"},"content":{"rendered":"

When back pain strikes it can be debilitating and most of us will try anything to make it feel better. After a recent bout of horrible lower-back pain (thanks to some overzealous weeding) I found using a massage gun<\/a> provided some relief\u2014but I know that to stop this happening again I need to strengthen my back and core.<\/p>\n

But I was surprised to see a PT on Instagram demonstrate how a glute bridge variation could \u201csave\u201d your back.<\/p>\n

In the Reel, Alisa from the account Movement By Alisa, can be seen performing a glute bridge with a yoga block<\/a> between her knees.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Like anyone with a bad back, I was hopeful this move could make a big difference, but I decided to double check with an expert first, and spoke to Baltazar Villanueva<\/a>, NASM-certified personal trainer with experience in corrective exercise and core stabilization work.<\/p>\n

Good news\u2014Villanueva agrees this move can play a part in building the strength needed to support your back.<\/p>\n

\u201cSqueezing a ball between the knees activates the adductors (inner thighs), which are often underused,\u201d says Villanueva.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe adductors and pelvic floor work closely with the deep core muscles so by engaging them, you get more stability through the pelvis and lower back.<\/p>\n

Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis added stability can reduce compensations in the low back during the movement and help retrain the body to fire the glutes more effectively\u2014both key for reducing strain and pain in the lumbar spine.\u201d<\/p>\n

So how should you add this movement to your week?<\/p>\n

\u201cI typically recommend two or three sets of 10\u201315 repetitions,\u201d says Villanueva. \u201cfocusing on slow, controlled movement and a strong glute squeeze at the top. Quality over quantity is key here.<\/p>\n

\u201cExhale as you lift into the bridge to engage the core<\/a> and avoid overarching the back. This is a small move with big impact\u2014but it works best when paired with lifestyle habits like regular movement, hydration and minimizing long periods of sitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor most people, two to three times per week is a great starting point for exercise, especially if they\u2019re dealing with low back discomfort.<\/p>\n

You may also want to spend some time working on your core strength. \u201cThink of the core as a brace for your spine,\u201d says Villanueva. \u201cWhen your core is strong\u2014and that includes deep stabilizing muscles like the transverse abdominis\u2014it reduces the load and movement demands on the spine itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis support helps prevent poor posture and protects against the kind of repetitive stress that often leads to chronic back pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

A good place to start is with these three bodyweight core exercises<\/a> recommended by a physical therapist.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s best yoga block deals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When back pain strikes it can be debilitating and most of us will try anything to make it…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":180718,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4322],"tags":[1630,105,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-180717","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114675325040420996","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}