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Bridge Pose

Difficulty: ⭐ Beginnerhinge

Home Setup

Lie on your back on any comfortable surface with enough space to extend your arms by your sides

Yoga mat or towelFolded blanket (optional for shoulder support)

💡 Pro tip: Place a folded towel under your shoulders if you experience neck discomfort

Gym Setup

Yoga mat in a quiet area with enough space to lie down fully extended

Safety: Avoid if you have neck injuries; keep chin slightly tucked to protect cervical spine

💪 Muscles Worked

GlutesHamstringsErector SpinaeHip Flexors (stretch)Chest (stretch)

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Bridge Pose strengthens the posterior chain while opening the chest, shoulders, and hip flexors. It improves spinal flexibility, counteracts prolonged sitting posture, and can help alleviate lower back tension when performed with proper alignment.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Supported Bridge with Block

yoga mat + yoga block or thick book

Block under sacrum provides passive support, reducing muscular effort required

2. Pelvic Tilts

yoga mat

Isolates the hip hinge movement without full spinal extension

3. Constructive Rest Pose

yoga mat

Same starting position but focuses on relaxation and gentle hip opening without lifting

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Single-Leg Bridge

yoga mat

Increases glute and hamstring activation by removing one leg of support

2. Bridge with Block Squeeze

yoga mat + yoga block or pillow

Adds inner thigh engagement and increases core stability demands

3. Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

yoga mat

Full backbend with arms and legs supporting, significantly deeper spinal extension

↕️ Similar Movements

Cobra Pose
Complementary prone backbend that strengthens similar spinal extensors
Glute Bridge (Strength Training)
Similar movement pattern with emphasis on glute strength rather than spinal mobility
Camel Pose
Kneeling backbend that progresses the chest and hip flexor opening
Supine Spinal Twist
Effective counter-pose that releases the lower back after backbending
Cat-Cow Pose
Dynamic spinal warm-up that prepares the spine for bridge pose extension

Form Checklist

✓Press firmly through all four corners of both feet, keeping knees hip-width apart
✓Lift hips by engaging glutes and pressing chest toward chin, not chin toward chest
✓Keep shoulders grounded and roll them under, interlacing fingers beneath you if comfortable
✓Maintain neutral neck position with space under the cervical spine
✓Engage core to prevent overarching in the lower back

Common Mistakes

  • •Allowing knees to splay outward instead of tracking over ankles
  • •Overarching the lower back instead of distributing the curve evenly through the spine
  • •Lifting hips too high and compressing the lower back
  • •Pressing chin to chest and straining the neck
  • •Holding breath instead of maintaining steady breathing

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can hold Bridge Pose for 5-10 breaths with stable hips, no lower back discomfort, and can maintain knee alignment without them falling inward or outward