Hip Bridging is part of our ongoing warm-up series. The knee joint should be warmed up with stability in mind. An unstable knee can buckle, or collapse inward (knee-knocking) potentially resulting in a major knee injury. Activating the gluteus muscles will go a long way in stabilizing the knee when exercising or being active.
Objective
- Mobilize the joints and improve the preparedness of surrounding joint tissues to reduce the risk of injury
Joints Targeted
- Knee
Needs
- Stability
Muscle Groups Targeted
- Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes (medius, maximus)
Starting Position
- Lying on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees and hands at our side. Feet are hip-width apart
Movement
- Start by laying on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Feet are hip-width apart.
- Once in position, initiate the movement by lifting the hips off the ground to a neutral position in the spine. The push should be directed through the heels
- Bonus: Adding a resistance band looped around both legs, just under/above the knee can incorporate the glute medius into the movement
Recommended Sets and Repetitions
- 2 sets of 4-6 reps
- Progress movement to a single leg bridge