Way to go fighters! You’re getting great at these bridges, now we are really going to challenge you. The Table Top Tail Taps sounds like a new dance move, but it is really a great variation of the bridge with marching. If you have been doing that exercise regularly, you may be ready to start the Table Top Tail Taps bridge variation.
As with the marching, you are using only 3 points of support, but now you are actively contracting and firing up the supporting glute. You need to make sure the lifted hips stay level by activating your transverse abdominals and keep that supported knee in-line with the foot. It most certainly will try to splay out to avoid lengthening the hip flexors which we want to lengthen.
Why is this important? Parkinson’s Lazy Bum is real and usually due to neuro disconnect aggravated also by too much sitting. This disconnection changes the mechanics and motor programming of the body, leading to muscle groups becoming overactive, and others becoming underactive resulting in injury. Glute activation is waking up your glutes, making the connection from your brain to your muscles.
Before you try this, make sure you’ve mastered the basic bridge described in previous posts and videos. Be sure to practice!
Watch How to Do the Hip Bridge with the Table Top Taps
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- Lay on your back with arms on the ground by your side and knees bent about 90 degrees with feet on the ground, sit-bone width apart (about 8 inches).
- Place a small pillow under your head if your head can not lay flat to keep your neck in neutral position.
- Inhale to prepare, then exhale while slowly lifting your hips off the ground, keep your feet flat on the ground and your knees in line with your feet. Avoid tucking your bum under.
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- There should be a straight line from your ear through your hip bone to your knee.
- You should feel your hamstrings contract, glutes engage and your psoas in front of your hips will stretch. Imagine ironing out all the creases in the front of your pants.
- Keeping your hips up and level, slowly raise your right leg to table top (as pictured) hip and knee should be at 90 degrees.
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- Keep left knee in-line with foot, it will try to splay outward to keep hips balanced, correct that.
- Check to make sure the right side of hip stays level with the left.
- While keeping your leg in table top, slowly lower your hips and tap your tail bone to the ground and come back up, 10 times slowly.
- Return your hips to the ground, and repeat exercise using the opposite leg.
- As you get stronger you can switch legs while hips are still lifted.
These exercises will strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, engage the inner thigh helper muscles (adductors) and stretch those overly tight hip flexors.
This is a safe exercise, but if you have back discomfort, reposition and try again. Be sure to ask your doctor if this exercise is good for your particular spine health.