Glute Bridge to Activate Your Glutes and Hamstrings
Movement card
| Body area | Lower back and core |
|---|---|
| Also called | glute bridges |
| Works | glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core |
| Type | Strength |
| Position | Floor |
| Hold | 2 to 5 seconds |
| Reps | 8 to 12 |
| Sets | 1-2 |
| Sides | Both sides together |
| How often | A few times a week, or as part of a longer movement break. |
| Equipment | None, floor mat |
| Office visibility | Low (requires floor space) |
The glute bridge is a strength exercise performed while lying on your back. You lift your hips off the floor, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, to work several muscles in your lower body and core.
Office workers who spend much of their day sitting may find this movement helpful for engaging muscles that can become inactive, such as the glutes and hamstrings.
What the glute bridge works
The glute bridge primarily targets your glutes and hamstrings. It also engages your core and lower back muscles for stability. This helps strengthen the entire back side of your body.
How to do it
Starting position: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart, and your arms by your sides with palms down.
- Gently engage your core muscles.
- Push through your heels to lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Hold the position briefly.
- Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position with control.
What you should feel
You should feel a clear contraction in your glute and hamstring muscles as you lift your hips. A gentle tightening in your core and lower back is also normal. The movement should not cause any sharp pain.
Common mistakes
- Arching your lower back too much.
- Lifting your hips too high, past the straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Letting your knees fall outward or inward.
- Pushing up from your toes instead of your heels.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: For an office-friendly version, try a standing glute squeeze: Stand tall, squeeze your glute muscles firmly for a few seconds, then release. Repeat several times.
- Easier: Reduce the height you lift your hips.
- Easier: Do not hold the position at the top; just move up and down slowly.
- Harder: Perform the exercise with one leg extended straight out (single-leg glute bridge).
- Harder: Place a resistance band around your thighs just above your knees and press outward against the band as you lift.
Fitting it into a desk day
Because it requires lying on the floor, the glute bridge is best for a dedicated movement break when you have some private space. For a more discreet option, the standing glute squeeze variation can be done right at your desk anytime without being noticed.
Quick questions
Can I do a glute bridge at my desk?
The standard glute bridge requires floor space, so it is not ideal for doing at your desk. However, you can try a standing glute squeeze, which is an office-friendly variation you can do anytime.
How long should I hold a glute bridge?
Hold the top position of the glute bridge briefly, for two to five seconds, before slowly lowering your hips back down.
What muscles does the glute bridge work?
The glute bridge works your glutes and hamstrings, and it also engages your core and lower back muscles.
When to see a doctor or physio
Stop this exercise and consult a doctor or physical therapist if you experience certain symptoms. Pay attention to any new or worsening discomfort during or after the movement.
- Sharp, shooting, or radiating pain in your back, hips, or legs.
- Numbness or tingling in your legs or feet.
Skip it or ask first if:
- You have a recent back, hip, or knee injury or surgery.
- You are pregnant.
How this page was put together: general guidance consistent with public workstation and movement-break resources from OSHA, CDC/NIOSH and the NHS, and with standard exercise handouts. It was drafted with AI assistance, checked in a separate review pass and edited under our editorial policy. It is not medical advice and no clinician reviewed it. Last checked October 2026.