Core stability, hip and leg strength are essential to an active lifestyle, good posture and protecting the knees. Tema Esberg of Potentia Personal Training shows you this simple “shoulder bridge with hip dips” exercise to tone and strengthen these areas in this easy-to-follow video.
This exercise is a variation of the “shoulder bridge with toe tap” exercise you can see here. Both of these are great exercises anyone can do in their own home. All you need is your body and a floor, and very little space! How great is that?
Core, thigh and knee support
The shoulder bridge with hip dips is great for core strength and building strength in your hips. These two things are so important in helping us achieve and maintain great posture. They also help protect your knees. Many people needlessly suffer knee injuries. But the more you work to develop your leg and core muscles, the stronger your body structure, and the more protected and supported your knees will be.
How to begin
Take your time to safely get down onto the floor. Tema is using a yoga mat, but if you don’t have one don’t worry; the carpet or exposed floor work just fine, too.
Lie on your back with your knees bent slightly less than 90-degrees and feet flat on the floor. Beginners will place their arms at their sides, palm down. (When you can do this easily and want more of a challenge, simply turn your palms to face up).
What to do
From the starting position, press your feet into the floor to help push your hips up into the air. You should feel your weight, and thus balance points in your heels and shoulders pushing into the floor.
Once your hips are elevated, ask yourself if they are as high as they can be. If yes, ok. If not, lift them even higher. Most people will find, if they ask themselves the question, that indeed they are able to press a bit more and raise those hips up even higher. And for this exercise, the higher then better.
Now let’s add the “hip dip.”
From the starting position, press your feet and raise your hips up high. Now slowly lower your hips to the floor, tough it for but a moment, then raise them up again.
Repeat this “bridge and hip dip” sequence, say for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
At the end of each set, you can raise your hips and hold them in the up position. In this position, keep pressing your heels into the floor to keep your raised hips level. While up there, squeeze your buttocks to create even more dynamic tension and strength building.
Give it a go and see how you feel. In a few weeks you’ll feel stronger and more balanced. And if you have time and energy, combine this “hip dip” exercise with the “toe tap” exercise shown previously, into one complete routine.
