I tried glute bridge marches every day for two weeks and my knee pain has practically disappeared
After years of sore knees, this one move has been a game changer
Recently, my physical therapist recommended glute bridge marches to strengthen my pelvic floor muscles, and while the exercise definitely helped that issue, I noticed another positive impact.
My sore knees were starting to feel better, too. They usually hurt a few miles into my regular runs and, sometimes, in everyday situations, too. It was in this latter scenario where I’d started to see a decrease in pain.
Intrigued, I reached out to Dr Andrew Gorecki, DPT, FAFS, for his thoughts on why glute bridge marches might be easing the pain.
“Glute bridge marches are one of the most useful exercises in my clinic for knee pain,” says the physical therapist, owner of Superior Physical Therapy and co-founder of MovementRx.
“But they only work when the knee pain is being driven by weak glutes. Most of the time it is.
“Glute bridge marches strengthen the glutes without putting weight on the knee. You're building the muscle that protects the knee without aggravating the knee itself.”
After speaking with Gorecki, I decided to try an experiment: I would do glute bridge marches every day for two weeks to see if I could continue lessening my knee pain.
Things to keep in mind before trying glute bridge marches
Before starting any new activity or exercise program, be sure to get clearance from your doctor. A certified personal trainer can ensure you’re performing this exercise safely and with the correct form.
Gorecki points out that glute bridge marches aren’t recommended for everyone. “If the knee pain is acute, recent, post-surgical, or coming from something other than weak glutes, this isn’t the right exercise,” he advises.
“[If you have] a meniscus tear, a fresh ACL injury, a swollen knee, or significant arthritis with effusion, skip it.
“Glute bridge marches can also flare up low back pain or SI joint problems if the technique slips,” he adds.
“The pelvis has to stay level while one leg lifts. A weak core lets the back take the load. The rule I give patients is: if it produces a mild burn in the side of the hip, you're doing it right. If it produces sharp knee pain, low back pain, or hip pinching, stop and get evaluated.”
How to do the glute bridge march
Sets: 1 Reps: 5-15 each side
You’ll just need a yoga mat for this exercise. If you’re unable to get onto the floor, lie on a bed, couch, or massage table instead.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Engage your core muscles.
- Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off the mat.
- Lift your left foot off the floor and bring your left knee towards your chest.
- Pause briefly.
- Lower your left foot back to the mat.
- Lift your right foot off the floor and bring your right knee towards your chest.
- Pause briefly.
- Lower your right foot back to the mat.
- Continue, alternating sides with each rep.
How often I did the glute bridge march
Since I’m no stranger to glute exercises, I started off my experiment by doing glute bridge marches for 12 reps on each leg as a part of my workout warm-ups.
Once I reached the halfway point of seven days, I realized that I wasn’t getting the same fatigue in my glutes as I was on day one, so I increased my reps to 15 on each leg. That continued to be a challenge until the final day of my experiment.
If you’re a beginner and want to try glute bridge marches for yourself, I’d start with no more than 8-10 reps on each leg. Be sure to focus on proper form.
Here’s what I found after two weeks of daily glute bridge marches.
1. My knee pain diminished during runs
My first instance of IT band syndrome—a condition that causes pain on the outside of the knee—popped up during my training for a 10K race. I’ve been battling it on and off for almost 10 years.
Unfortunately, returning to running after pregnancy has also meant a return of my IT band pain.
Overtraining and improper running form are two major culprits of this type of pain, so I knew that I had to address those factors.
“When the gluteus medius is weak, the femur rotates inward,” Gorecki explains.
“The kneecap tracks poorly. It grinds against tissue it shouldn't be touching. That shows up as patellofemoral pain, IT band irritation, or a dull ache in the front of the knee that gets worse on stairs.”
I dropped my mileage and started my daily glute bridge marches. Since I only run twice a week, I wasn’t sure that I’d see any noticeable improvement until after the two-week period was up.
However, my run on day eight of the experiment felt great. I usually feel my knee pain kick in around mile four, but I was able to make it over five miles without any issues.
My second run of that week, on day 12 of my two-week experiment, was also pain-free.
2. My runs got slightly faster
With less pain and more confidence, I noticed that my runs in week two of the experiment were a little faster than usual.
It wasn’t a huge speed difference—a few seconds per mile—but it was nice to see that the daily glute work was having a positive effect on my performance.
I’ll be curious to see if my runs continue to get faster if I keep glute bridge marches in my pre-run routine.
3. My knees felt more stable when going down stairs
I’ve always had a little instability and pain when going down stairs, which can happen with a lot of knee conditions.
By the end of my two week experiment, I noticed that I wasn’t gripping the railing anymore when going down the stairs at my gym. My knees didn’t buckle or feel shaky, and I didn’t feel the familiar ache I usually get.
I remembered Gorecki’s comment on the gluteus medius impacting knee pain on stairs, and noted this new improvement as yet another positive from my daily glute bridge marches.
This was all the evidence I needed to keep single-leg glute work—whether it be marches or another glute medius-targeting exercise—in my routine.
Gorecki develops and implements Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) solutions to improve patient engagement and adherence to home exercise programs. He is also the owner of Superior Physical Therapy, an outpatient orthopedic private practice in Northern Michigan, and the founder of MovementRx, a digital health platform designed to enhance clinical efficiency and patient outcomes in physical therapy.
