Shoulder Bridge
One thing all Pilates exercises have in common is that the setup matters just as much as the movement because it determines the outcome.
The Shoulder Bridge is a perfect example of how important it is to not rush into lifting the hips and spine without organizing the rest of the body first.
One of my clients coined a phrase she used to always repeat to herself:
“When you start well, you finish well.”
It’s easy to think of Shoulder Bridge as just lifting and lowering the hips.
However, since elongation and decompression is one of the goals of why we practice Pilates, the direction of the movement matters.
When you are reaching the knees forward you are creating length in the muscles and space in the joints.
The intentional lengthening of the muscles on both sides of your spine assists you in decompressing the lower back joints.
Try thinking less about “lifting up and lowering down"and more about where you are reaching. That shift alone can make a big difference.
You will always be guessing how high to lift your hips in Shoulder Bridge if you don't know what it feels like to have your pelvis and lower back aligned.
In my signature course, What Pilates Is: The Essential Skills, I use Pelvic Rocking and other pre-Pilates movements to teach you how to recognize and control that alignment before applying it to the full exercise.
How High Should I Lift My Hips During
Shoulder Bridge?
Shoulder Bridge is often taught as a “roll up, roll down vertebrae by vertebrae” exercise.
And while that’s the goal for most bodies, it’s not available to every body.
Different levels of spine mobility and stability play a role.
We are always better off not forcing a shape, but recruiting muscles to support and decompress the lower back joints.
Everyone knows that activating triceps is a great way to make moving your lower body easier.
The same applies to the Shoulder Bridge exercise.
If you focus on “standing” on your triceps and feet, the pelvis and spine become “lighter," and therefore easier to lift.
If you feel pressure in your neck, check your arms. A little more work through the triceps can completely change how supported you feel.
"Shoulder Bridge" can easily turn into a lower back “ouch” if done incorrectly.
Even though no two bodies are the same, when it comes to executing a movement, the actions are universal. Organize your muscles first, then begin moving your joints with support.
Every time I give this correction of reaching the knees towards the toes to a new client, their face lights up when this movement feels so much better in their body.
During Shoulder Bridge, many people feel a pinch in their lower back because they focus on lifting the pelvis as high as possible instead of keeping the pelvis and lower back aligned.
I have found that Pelvic Rocking helps clients recognize and control the position of the pelvis, while pelvis stability movements teach them to maintain that alignment as they move. I teach both in my signature course, What Pilates Is: The Essential Skills.