Glute Bridge
Strength · Week 2+
Re-introduce gentle posterior chain strength without clenching.
Set yourself up
- Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.
- Arms by your sides.
Move step by step
- Exhale and lift the hips to a comfortable height.
- Pause briefly at the top: soft glutes, not maximal squeeze.
- Inhale on the way down.
- Repeat for 10 to 15 reps.
Breathing cue
Exhale to lift, inhale to lower.
What to feel
- Hips lift through the heels, not by squeezing the glutes.
- At the top, the pelvic floor feels soft: not pulled up.
- If you notice an anal clench, the bridge is too high.
Common mistakes
- Squeezing the buttocks hard.
- Lifting so high the lower back arches.
Lower the height or skip if the lower back complains.
Sources for this exercise
This is education, not medical treatment.
Pelvic Floor Power Up is general information. It is not a diagnosis, a treatment, or personalised medical advice, and it is no substitute for being assessed by a qualified professional. Nobody has examined you.
- Talk to a doctor or pelvic-health physiotherapist before you start, particularly if you are pregnant or postnatal, have had pelvic surgery, or have been diagnosed with a prolapse.
- Stop and seek advice if any exercise increases your pain, pressure or urinary symptoms.
- Seek medical care promptly for blood in your urine or stool, fever, new inability to pass urine, numbness in the saddle area, or severe or rapidly worsening pain.