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Stability Ball Hip Bridge

intermediate · isolation

Stability Ball Hip Bridge

Setup

Sit on the stability ball and walk your feet out, rolling down slowly until your shoulders and upper back rest on top of the ball with your head relaxed back against it. Place both feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, knees bent to roughly 90 degrees with your shins close to vertical. Start with your hips low, just off the floor, and your hands clasped together resting lightly on your lower belly or hip.

Execution

  1. Press evenly through both feet and brace your core to keep the ball steady under your shoulders before you start lifting.
  2. Exhale, squeeze your glutes and drive your hips up until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
  3. Keep your head and neck relaxed against the ball; do not crane your neck back further to look at the ceiling.
  4. Pause for a beat at the top, squeezing the glutes and hamstrings hard, without letting the ball roll forward or back.
  5. Inhale and lower your hips under control until they are just above the floor, then drive back up, without sitting all the way down between reps.
  6. At the end of the set, walk your feet in closer to your body, lower your hips to the floor, and only then roll your shoulders off the ball to stand up.

Breathing

Exhale as the hips rise, inhale as they lower. Keep breathing steady rather than holding your breath to fight for balance on the ball.

Quick cues

  • Shoulders on the ball, head relaxed.
  • Knees stay near 90 degrees.
  • Shoulders, hips, knees — one line.
  • Press evenly through both feet.
  • Lower slowly, don't let the ball roll.

Common faults

  • Fault: The ball rolling forward or back as the hips lower

    Fix: Set the ball against a wall or have someone hold it steady while you are new to this, and slow down the lowering phase.

  • Fault: Craning the neck back too far to look at the ceiling

    Fix: Tuck the chin slightly and let the head rest comfortably on the ball, eyes looking straight up rather than craning further.

  • Fault: Only lifting the hips halfway, short of a straight line from shoulders to knees

    Fix: Lift further until that straight line appears, checking with a mirror set up to the side.

  • Fault: Placing the feet too far from the body so the shins angle forward

    Fix: Bring the feet in closer until the shins sit close to vertical at the top of the lift.

Equipment

other, mat

Muscle groups

glutes, legs, core