For elite performance coach and Hollywood trainer David Higgins \u2014 whose client list spans everyone from Scarlett Johansson and Margot Robbie to Samuel L. Jackson and David Harbour \u2014 this is one of the most common and most preventable patterns he sees. The fix, in his view, starts with a single back-to-basics movement: the hip bridge.<\/p>\n
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David Higgins also recommended the farmer’s walk as his go-to muscle-building exercise for over 50s<\/a>.<\/p>\n What glute dysfunction actually looks and feels like<\/p>\n The trouble with glute dysfunction is that it rarely announces itself clearly. It tends to show up as something else \u2014 tightness in the hip flexors each time you lace up your running shoes<\/a>, persistent lower back tension, hamstrings that feel perpetually strained, or a vague instability when you’re standing on one leg.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n \u201cDesk-bound lifestyles teach the body to live in hip flexion, which switches the glutes off over time,\u201d says Higgins. The glutes aren’t beyond repair; however, they’ve simply been trained out of the habit of engaging.<\/p>\n One of the clearest tell-tale signs is which muscles dominate during lower-body movement. \u201cDuring a bridge, for example, you should feel the glutes initiating and finishing the movement, not cramping in the hamstrings,\u201d he says. If your hamstrings are dominating and your lower back is doing the heavy lifting, the glutes aren’t contributing properly.<\/p>\n The connection between weak glutes and lower back pain is equally well established. \u201cThe glutes help stabilize the pelvis,\u201d Higgins explains. \u201cWhen they stop doing their job, the lower back overworks to create stability. Where you feel pain is often not where the real problem lives.\u201d Treating the back when the glutes are the underlying issue is, at best, managing symptoms, while the hip bridge can address the source.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez \/ <\/a>Getty Images)Why the hip bridge is the right starting point<\/p>\n The hip bridge works because it isolates the glutes and retrains the pattern of proper activation without requiring any equipment, any particular fitness baseline, or any complex technique. It\u2019s accessible enough to work for someone returning to exercise after years away, while being specific enough to be useful for people who train regularly but have never consciously addressed their glute function.<\/p>\n For desk-bound adults who commit to it consistently, Higgins says the results come faster than most expect. \u201cIf someone’s desk-bound but consistent, they can usually begin restoring proper glute activation within 2\u20136 weeks,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe body adapts to repetition \u2014 both good and bad.\u201d<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n His coaching cue is the cornerstone of the whole thing: \u201cRibs down, squeeze the glutes before you lift.\u201d Not arch, or thrust \u2014 squeeze. The movement should come from the glutes extending through the hips, not from the lower back overextending to create the illusion of range. Most people get this wrong. They flare the ribs, overarch the spine, rush the reps or push through the toes rather than the heels. Higgins is clear: \u201cPosture dictates muscle recruitment.\u201d<\/p>\n How to perform the hip bridgeTo perform the hip bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.Brace your core, squeeze your glutes and drive through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.Pause briefly at the top, then lower with control and repeat.<\/p>\n For beginners, Higgins programmes the bridge with a pause at the top.<\/p>\n \u201cI want people to own the top position, not just fling their hips upward,\u201d he says. In practice, that means either 10\u201315 controlled reps or short holds of 3\u20135 seconds at the top \u2014 both approaches force you to actually be in the position rather than simply passing through it.<\/p>\n You should feel the bridge primarily in the glutes. Some hamstring involvement is normal, but if the hamstrings are doing most of the work, either the feet are positioned too far from the body or the glutes aren’t yet firing as they should. Adjust the foot position first, then focus on the squeeze cue before you lift.<\/p>\n Once the bodyweight bridge is consistent and the glutes are clearly initiating the movement, progressions include single-leg bridges, adding a miniband above the knees, or incorporating longer holds.<\/p>\n What the hip bridge alone won’t fix<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes)<\/p>\n \u201cHip bridges are brilliant, but on their own they’re not enough for most desk-bound people,\u201d Higgins says. \u201cYou also need hip mobility, breathing work, walking mechanics and postural correction,\u201d he says, noting that the body \u201cworks as a system, not isolated parts.\u201d<\/p>\n With Higgins\u2019 guidance, try to think of the bridge as the foundation \u2014 restoring the basic capacity for the glutes to switch on and do their job. From there, the work expands outward: opening up the hip flexors that have been shortened by years of sitting, retraining walking mechanics so the glutes are actually loaded during movement, and building the postural habits that keep the whole system honest.<\/p>\n Start in your 30s and the work is preventive. \u201cSimple exercises done well will always outperform complicated training done badly,” he explains. Getting the fundamentals right now is the most efficient thing you can do for your back, your hips and your long-term ability to move freely.<\/p>\n You can also check out three stretches from a desk yoga expert to undo the damage of sitting at your desk<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n Follow TechRadar on Google News<\/a> and add us as a preferred source<\/a> to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In your 30s? 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