Last week we talked about how to fire up our glutes to treat Parkinson’s lazy bum by adding a resistance band. If you have been doing this exercise regularly, you may be ready to start marching.
With marching, you are using only 3 points of support, thus really firing up that glute that is balancing the side in the air.The key is to make sure the lifted hips stay level by activating your transverse abdominals and making sure the supported knee stays in-line with the foot.
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 in the last two blogs first. Go back and watch the videos from the last two weeks and PRACTICE!!
Watch How to Do the Marching Hip Bridge
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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.
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- Keeping your hips up and level, slowly raise your right leg to table top (as Pictured) hip and knee should be at 90 degrees.
- 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.
- Slowly lower foot and back to starting position and lift left leg in the same manner.
- Return left foot down and lower hips to the ground leading with your tailbone to maintain neutral position.
- Perform 10 bridges with good form and do twice daily.
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 or ask your doctor if this exercise is good for your particular spine health.