Never Feel Guilty for Sitting or Laying

Submitted by sybille on June 11, 2004 - 10:51am
Body: 

www.drbackman.com/gluteal-buttocks-exercise.htm

Found this to be quite useful, especially if a day of walking was missed. Somehow I have a hard time doing two things at once, tightening my muscles and walking - it seems to be "either" or "or."

Also found the below information when laying down:

Technique (Bridge Position)

Start by lying on your back with your knees bent. Have your feet and knees hip width apart. Squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your hips until you have a straight line running through your knees, hips to your mid-back. Leave your shoulder blades on the floor. Now hold the position, focusing on using the gluteal muscles. Maintain the position for 10-30 seconds, repeating for a number of sets.

It is more beneficial to perform this exercise as an isometric contraction because this mimics the stabilising role of the gluteal muscles more closely. Squeeze the gluteals more to ensure most of the support is coming from them. If one starts to feel the exercise moving out of the gluteals into the hamstrings, and maybe even cramping the hamstrings, then it's time to rest, as this is a sign that the gluteals have fatigued. Do not push the hips up too far. If this happens, lower the hips and place hands on hips to help maintain the neutral position. Check that the knees and feet are aligned at hip-width apart. No knock or bandy knees!

Progressions
Once you can maintain the bridge position with perfect alignment and using only the gluteals for three sets of 30 seconds, you are ready for some progressions. First, try lifting the heel of one foot. This will place more load on the other side of the gluteals. Practise until you can hold this position each side for 30 seconds, with a focused contraction of the gluteals.

The second progression is to bridge completely on one leg. To practise this initially, just swap from side to side by lifting each leg alternatively. When you lift the leg off the floor it is essential that the lumbar spine remains in neutral and the pelvis level. If the gluteals are not stabilising effectively, the opposite-side pelvis can drop down. In my experience, once you can bridge on one leg perfectly for three sets of 30 seconds each leg, you have developed good inner range strength.

Hope this helps... I try to do a small number of exercises rather than a large array. Walking is my primary source followed by the above when laying down and will do the sitting while at work or watching the tube.

Sybille

Christine

June 11, 2004 - 11:10am

Great exercise, Sybille! Walking with a slight contraction of the butt muscle gives sort of a "prance" to our walk (that's why I mentioned the "horsey" thing.) It's particularly helpful for UP and works to inch the uterus up and forward. As you describe, all of our activities of daily living can be used as "therapies" for these conditions. We really don't have to do anything special but become more conscious and use our bodies more efficiently and naturally.