How To Do The Shoulder Bridge Video

Increase flexibility with the Pilates Shoulder Bridge. Learn how to do the Shoulder Bridge in an exercise routine with this Pilates video lesson.

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Place feet hip-width apart
Lift hips up toward ceiling
Clasp hands underneath legs
Balance on one foot, extend opposite leg

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Known as the trainers' trainer, Carol Ann has 19 years of professional fitness training experience, a Master's degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, and CEC provider status with AFAA and ACE. She holds current fitness certifications including Group X Instructor, Personal Trainer, Pilates, Yoga, Aqua Fitness, Kickboxing, and Lifestyle Fitness Coaching. Carol Ann has traveled nationally and internationally training fitness professionals, presenting certifications and workshops, and sharing her knowledge for specific training techniques and application. Along with various fitness training DVD's, she is the creator and star of the fitness DVD series called The Steel Physique System. She also is a freelance fitness expert writer for several publications. In 2008 she is launching Studio Group X, a premier state-of-the-art group exercise studio in North Tampa, FL. The focus is to engage her clients into leading healthy lifestyles for a lifetime through an educational and fun process.

CAROLANN: This Pilates exercise is called the Shoulder Bridge. Now, this is going to be a great exercise to work those core muscles as well as lengthening and strengthening those legs and we're going to even incorporate the upper body. So really, this is a great total body exercise. So you want to come on down to your mat in a supine position. Place your feet about hip-width apart with your knees bent, lengthen out through the crown of your head, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and pull your navel in towards your spine. Then, lift your hips up as high as you can towards the ceiling. Take your hands and clasp them underneath you and pull your shoulders into the mat. Now, balance on one foot as you extend the other leg. Really point out through those toes and then you're going to lift that leg up, flex your foot, lower the leg down to where it meets the other knee and point your toes up, flex your foot down. Now, to incorporate great breathing with this, inhale as you lift your leg up, exhale as you lower down. Now, as you're performing this exercise, you may have a tendency to want to drop your hips. So really think about lifting up, don't sag, and, again, keep your abdominal muscles nice and tight. Inhale up, exhale down. And after you perform about eight to ten reps, switch to the other leg. Make sure you're nice and balanced, and a really good key here is when you're flexing that foot, you're really stretching out through those hamstrings. And then when you're finished with eight to ten reps on the other side, unclasp your hands and then gently imprint down one vertebra at a time. And that is your Shoulder Bridge Exercise. Three things that you want to remember here as you're performing this exercise: number one, keep those shoulders back and down; number two, keep pulling that navel into your spine and keep your hips lifted; three, you want to make sure that you inhale as you lift your leg, exhale as you lower your leg and then you will have a great shoulder bridge.

How to Do the Shoulder Bridge Video

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