Exercise Highlight 9: Floor Bridge with Marching
The Floor Bridge with Marching is an essential exercise for the athlete and anyone looking for increased stability and function of their Lumbo Pelvic Hip Complex (LPHC). This is an anti-rotation exercise, focused on increasing stability and reaction time of your core and pelvic musculature.
This is not an exercise to rush through, you must take your time and practice each rep. Take 5-10+ seconds for each rep. Feel what's going on and where your compensations are occurring. Notice what happens when you load and unload a leg with better engagement of your core muscles. Work to make each rep better then the previous.
You can use this exercise within your movement prep before a run, bike or workout or build into the main body of your Strength & Corrective workouts as a key exercise.
How to: Lay flat on your back with both feet flat on the floor, draw-in your navel & extend through your hips until knee, hip & shoulders are aligned. Then draw 1 knee into the chest without dropping or rotating the hips, hold for 3 seconds, 5-10+ seconds to complete each rep. Begin with 3 sets of 4-10 reps for each side, alternating (1-3 min rest between sets).
Compensations: Watch for dropping of the hips, even the slightest. The goal is to show no movement. Watch for elevation of the shoulders to help brace. Practice!
Self Massage - Massage the area prior to the exercise using a foam roller or massage ball. Target your Quadriceps if your finding difficulty in fully extending through your hips and hyperextending your lower back to get into the starting position for marching. Actively stretch the area, then proceed to the exercise by 1st completing a traditional 2 Leg Floor Bridge for 10-15 reps.