Bridging

Professional Rationale
This is a good beginner exercise for patients who are acute, or are at baseline core strength. It is also a great exercise for geriatric patients as a general strength exercise for a home exercise program.

Client Rationale
This is a bridging exercise. This exercise 'wakes up' your core muscles - abdominals, gluteals, back extensors, in a supported environment. The focus of this exercise to to maintain a glut contraction and the lower abdominal (tranverse abdominus) contraction, as your raise your hips off the surface, and maintain the bridge position for several seconds.



Instructions

• Slowly lower hips to the surface.
• Squeeze your buttocks.
• Keeping abdominals tight, lift your buttocks off of the surface.
• Keep shoulder blades on the surface.
• Keep hips/pelvis level.
• Do not arch your back.
• Do not raise your hips too far off of the surface.
• Do not hold your breath.

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