The Glute Bridge, The Most Underrated Postpartum Exercise

Pregnancy tilts the pelvis forward and stretches the glutes. Nine months of that plus months of sitting to feed leaves most postpartum women with glutes that have forgotten how to fire. Weak glutes force the lower back and pelvic floor to compensate, and neither can hold that job for long.

The exercise

Set-up

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart
• Heels roughly one hand's length from the glutes
• Arms relaxed by your sides
• Spine in neutral

The lift

1. Inhale to the sides of the ribs
2. Exhale slowly through pursed lips
3. As you exhale, gently draw the lower belly in
4. Squeeze the glutes and lift the hips off the floor, until knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line
5. Hold 2 seconds, breathing normally
6. Lower with control on the next inhale

Repeat 12 to 15 times, 2 to 3 sets. Daily is fine.

What "right" feels like

• The glutes should be the first thing that fires, not the hamstrings, not the lower back
• No pinching in the lower back at the top
• The pelvis stays level (no rocking side to side)
• No belly doming

Fixing the two common problems

Problem 1: hamstring cramp. Your glutes are so quiet the hamstrings are doing the whole lift. Fix: bring your heels closer to your glutes, actively push through the heels, imagine "pulling" the heels back toward you (without moving them).

Problem 2: lower back pinch at the top. You're overextending, arching the lower back instead of using the glutes. Fix: don't lift as high, stop when the hips reach shoulder-to-knee line. Keep the ribs down.

Progressions

Once 3 sets of 15 feel easy, add:

• Single-leg glute bridge: lift one leg off the floor at the top, hold, lower.
• Glute bridge with a resistance band above the knees. Push knees outward against the band throughout.
• Weighted glute bridge: rest a dumbbell (or your baby, once they're safely held) on the hips.

Why the glute bridge belongs in every postpartum routine

• Strengthens the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, lower back) that stabilises your spine
• Retrains hip extension, essential for walking, standing up, climbing stairs without pain
• Trains the pelvic floor and deep core to work together with the glutes
• Improves posture by pulling the pelvis back to neutral

The glute bridge is one of the safest postpartum exercises. You can start from week 1 (breath-linked, no lift) and progress by week 6.