LIFESTYLE NEWS - Exercise is one of the ways to improve your physical wellbeing and it aids in great measure to get rid of ailments, aches and pains. 

Follow the exercise programme provided by the biokineticists at Anine van der Westhuizen Biokineticist in George and feel the difference. 

This week biokineticist Lana Laubscher continues the series on hip rehabilitation exercises.

I hope that your awareness of your glute (bum) activation has been improved. This week we take last week's exercise a step further.

The basic exercise, the "bridge", is our starting position for this week's exercise:

• Lie down on your back (preferably on a hard surface, not your bed);

• Bend your knees so that there is approximately 30cm between your heel and your bum;

• Be sure that your feet are facing forward and that your feet are about a fist width apart;

• Place your hands at your sides;

• Now connect/activate your glutes one at a time (in other words, don't just clench your bum cheeks together);

• While you keep your glutes activated, use your glutes to lift your hips up from the floor;

Now:
Make sure your hips are in a neutral tilt and that you don't arch your back as you lift your bum, as this is a common mistake;

Make sure your hips (pointy hip bones) are horizontal to one another (in other words, level). To monitor your hips you can look at them, or place your hands on your hip bones while keeping your elbows on the floor;

Squeeze your right bum a little harder and put more weight through your right heel (extra activation for the bum muscle);

Then, without letting your left hip drop (move downward), lift your left foot off the floor;

Hold this position for 5 seconds while maintaining all the weight and effort in your right bum muscle, as this is the muscle keeping your hips in the air;

Do the exact same on the other side. Try to do 10 repetitions.

What if?
If this is very hard for you and you struggle to reach 5 seconds: You have a lot of work to do in terms of strength and muscle awareness. Start with just 2 seconds and work yourself up;

If your hamstrings or lower back cramps or starts aching: You're not using your bum muscles very effectively and definitely have to work more on the activation of the glutes;

If this is really easy and it doesn't really feel as though you've done much: You can lengthen the holding time to 10 or 15 seconds.

Read a previous article: Now keep the glutes going continued

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