Ask a Yoga Teacher: Bridge pose/Setu Bandhasana

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Bridge pose/Setu Bandhasana is one of the best poses to practice with a body over 50, or really any body, of any age. This pose balances lower body strength with hip, shoulder, and spinal mobility, and there are many ways to modify to make this pose doable in most bodies.

This pose differs from the bridge pose you do in Pilates or physical therapy because in addition to glute strengthening, you have a backbend in the Thoracic spine. The addition of the Thoracic extension improves spinal mobility, as well as chest and shoulder opening. You get both strength and mobility, which is a big reason to practice this pose.

Thoracic mobility

We lose Thoracic mobility due to gravity, poor posture while sitting, standing, driving, and “computering.” The Thoracic spine makes up the majority of our back. Each one of our 12 ribs connects to each of the 12 Thoracic vertebra. Most spinal movement happens in the thoracic spine. Forward and backward bending, side bending, and twisting all happen using that part of our back. In Bridge pose, it’s the Thoracic spine that extends (back bends). This Thoracic extension is the antidote to the gravity induced slouch, and can create strength to support good posture.

Upper Back Strength

The Rhomboids are muscles that pull the shoulder blades toward each other (retraction). When we slouch, we fall into protraction, where the shoulder blades move apart. Squeezing them together releases the tension and pain we often have in the upper back and neck from sitting at a computer, or scrolling on our phone.

Chest and Shoulder Opening

Slouching also causes tightness in the chest and shoulders. When these areas get tight it becomes harder to find good posture because the tightness pulls everything forward, including your head and neck. This position weakens the upper back muscles and tighten the chest, which lead to pain and discomfort. This can also cause impaired or inefficient breathing, leading to fatigue and lower energy.

Most neck and upper back pain is due to poor posture. You can relieve the overstretching the neck and upper back muscles by contracting them. They feel tight, but they are not. Getting the muscles to engage relieves the pain and allows the chest and shoulders to open again.

Core Strengthening

Core strength is much more than just 6-pack abs. Having good core strength supports our ability to stand up straight, and to balance on our feet (or hands, if you desire). Bridge pose activates the glutes, pelvic floor, lower abdominals, inner thighs, and the erector muscles along the spine. It also strengthens the quads in the front of the thighs. Strengthening these muscles allows us to move about our day with ease and stability.

Bridge pose basics:

Strength

Start lying down on your back with your knees bent. The feet should be between hip and shoulder distance apart. Not too wide, not too narrow. It should feel stable and comfortable. Have the knees directly over the ankles, or as close to the buttocks as your knees allow. You don’t want the knees forward of the ankles.

Keeping the pelvis neutral, with a little space under the lower back, engage the pelvic floor and lower abdominals. Press your heels into the floor and lift your hips as high as they will go without struggle. Feel your glutes working. Your hamstrings will also engage, but the key is to get your glutes firing to support the hip extension.

There was a trend a number of years ago to relax the glutes in this position. Please don’t do that. The hips are in extension, so you want to engage the glutes (primary hip extensor) so as not to overtax the hamstrings (secondary hip extensor). Plus, gluteal amnesia is a thing; getting them to fire is in your lower back’s best interest. This is where you cultivate glute and lower body strength.

Mobility

Keeping the hips lifted, walk your shoulders underneath your body toward each other. Interlace your fingers, making one fist with two hands, your palms and wrists press together. If you can’t interlace, you can simply reach the arms forward, palms facing the ceiling, or you can hold a strap or towel between your hands and walk your hands toward each other as close as they will get.

Whichever variation you choose, you should feel a stretch and opening in the chest and shoulders as you squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other. Reach your knuckles toward your heels and gently press the shoulder blades toward your waist as well. Ideally the hands rest on the floor, but that will depend on your shoulder mobility. Don’t force it.

Reach the chest toward the chin and your tailbone toward your knees to lengthen the lower back. This is a Thoracic backbend, not a Lumbar backbend, so the main focus should be more in the upper back than lower back. Lift the pelvic floor and activate the lower abdominals.

Stay here for 5=10 breaths, then release the arms and roll down one vertebra at a time. Rest for a few moments, then repeat, this time interlacing your fingers with the other fingers on top (shift everything over by one finger). Stay another 5-10 breaths, then roll down. Once the hips are on the floor, hug your knees into your chest and reach your nose to meet your knees as a counter stretch.

Modifications and variations

There are many ways to modify and play with this pose. Here is a short list, I’m sure there are many more.

Supported Thoracic opening

This Bridge pose variation is a nice chest opener to do before you practice Bridge. Place two blocks in a “T” orientation. The vertical block can be flat or on its side, and the horizontal block can be in any of the 3 positions, depending on the support that you need.

Lie down on the blocks so that the vertical block goes between your shoulder blades and the horizontal block supports your head. If you feel this in your lower back, slide the vertical block toward your head. If you neck is straining, slide it toward your waist. Adjust the horizontal block so that your neck feels aligned and comfortable.

Let the arms open to the sides, palms facing the ceiling. If this is too much strain for your shoulders, rest your forearms on pillows, blankets, or rolled towels to give them support. You should feel a gentle stretch, but no strain or struggle. Hold this pose for 10-20 breaths, then remove all the props and release yourself flat to the floor.

Supported Bridge pose

This is what I consider the other part of your pre-bridge prep. The above version focused on the upper body, this focuses on the lower body.

I love the way this variation increases hip mobility by stretching the hips flexors. Start on your back, knees bent, feet hip to shoulder distance apart. Lift your hips and place the pelvis on a block. The block can be flat, on its side, or on its end, depending on your hip mobility.

Make sure the bones of the pelvis rest on the block, not your Lumbar spine. Feel that the block encourages the tailbone to lengthen toward your knees. Let your arms be on the floor, alongside the body, palms facing the ceiling.

You can stay in this position for 10-20 breaths, or holding the block, bring the soles of your feet together as your knees fall away from each other. The stretch should be in your hips flexors, and possibly your inner thighs. You can also extend the legs forward letting the thighs drop open for more hip flexor stretch. When you extend the legs, if you feel it in your lower back, either go back to having the knees bent or actively aim the tailbone toward the ceiling.

Stay in each variation for 10 breaths, or hold the first variation for 10-20 breaths. Then release the block from underneath you and roll down to rest on the floor.

Arm variations

Depending on your shoulder mobility, you have a few choices for what to do with your arms when you are in Bridge pose. The simplest variation is to have the arms alongside your body with the palms facing the ceiling. This encourages the shoulder and chest opening without worrying about the hands.

The more common variation is interlacing the fingers. Make sure that the palms and wrists press together and that you aren’t letting your wrists bend. This bypasses the shoulder opening, which you probably need more. Keeping the wrists straight brings the stretch into the shoulders and out of the wrists. Make sure to practice this variation to “both sides.” One version the left thumb is on top and the other, the right thumb is on top. Don’t just move the thumbs, move all the fingers over by one.

The last variation requires a bit more Thoracic mobility so that you don’t compress the lower back or strain the knees. Reach down with your hands and grab your ankles. Bring the hands between the feet, palms facing the ceiling. Rotate the right arm to the right and the left arm to the left so that you hold your inner ankles. Both the palms and elbow creases should point outward. This creates a delightful bicep and chest stretch. It’s one of my favorite variations.

Thanks for reading Ask a Yoga Teacher, a monthly series where you get your yoga questions answered. If you have questions that you’d like me to answer, please let me know! You can ask in the comments, or email me directly here. Feel free to ask questions about how to modify a pose you struggle with, or how to practice when you are working with a restricted body part. I love helping you get more out of your yoga practice, so don’t be afraid to ask!