A bridge is an exercise which is traditionally performed by lying down on your back on a mat. It is done by lifting the hips and lowering them down at the end. Although it can be performed by using certain modifications to make it easier or harder, doing a bridge exercise every day can primarily help you lift your back and get rid of neck or shoulder pain. The bridge also assists in building muscles, boosting flexibility, and can be easily incorporated into any specific routine.
Here is why you should add bridges to your workout every day:
Reduce Knee and Back Pain
The posterior chain, which includes glutes and hamstrings, easily gets neglected. The quadriceps usually take over all your daily activities and high-intensity workouts, and therefore, do most of the work which may often lead to knee and back pain. This is mostly because the dominance of one muscle over another can lead to injury but don’t worry, you can try bridges to engage that posterior chain to even out the muscle use.
Improve Athletic Performance
Nothing is as substantial as glutes when it comes to producing power. Stronger glutes ensure better muscle movements which can help you while hiking, sprinting, running, jumping and cycling. As we know free body movements and adequate power helps in boosting all the athletic movement, bridges can help in strengthening all those posterior muscle chains which will eventually lead to decreased injury chance and better overall athletic performance.
Also read: Rope Wall Yoga: Challenge Your Body To Increase Strength and Stamina
Your Clothes Will Fit Better
‘The stronger your glutes are, The better they will look.’ The Bridge exercise, especially the ones in which weights are used, will help you have those high toned rounded rears which can look great in anything you want to wear. So stop worrying about higher weights if you are already doing a weighted version of the exercise, go for some heavy stuff, and it will give you both a firmer backside and a better tone.
Strengthen Your Core
The bridge exercise helps in strengthening your core activating all the core muscles which include, the transverse abdominous muscle which helps in flattening your core, rectus abdominous a muscle responsible for six-packs and also obliques muscle, the one responsible for body’s hourglass figure. So, try any of the bridge variations to work on these muscles deeply and tighten up your muscles in one smooth move.
Also Read: Kareena Kapoor’s Fitness Secret Revealed: 50 Times Surya Namaskar In A Day
Improve Your Posture
This exercise also helps one to maintain his/her posture. Most of our work, be it operating a computer, laptop, phone or be it eating or reading, almost everything is done leaning forward, which means we put a lot of pressure on back extension muscles - the one responsible for helping us stand straight. Continuous weight on these muscles can cause severe headaches and concerning weakness. Once you are regularly with this exercise, it will strengthen your glutes to maintain a better posture when you’re sitting or standing for an extended period.
Read more articles on Yoga
