Pilates Instructor Shares How Daily Pelvic Curls Loosen Stiff Hips and Reduce Back Pain
If you're ready to implement Pilates exercises into your weekly workouts, there's no shortage of beneficial moves to choose from. But one of the most underrated ones happens to be the pelvic curl. At first glance, it looks quite similar to a standard glute bridge. However, there's a slight caveat that makes it different, turning a glute-dominant move into one that also targets the hamstrings, deep core, and spinal stabilizers.
"Glute bridges are one of the most useful Pilates-based exercises for men over 40 because they target the posterior chain-the muscles along the back side of the body that support posture, hip extension, and lower-body strength," says Nicole Hernandez, a certified Pilates instructor and co-founder of Pilates Pros. "Pelvic curls add another layer by articulating the spine one segment at a time."
That very aspect of the exercise can make a big difference, especially for men over 40 who tend to lose spinal mobility from years of sitting, strength training, or simply getting less movement throughout the day. Read on to learn how to program pelvic curls into your training.
How to Do Pelvic Curls
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
- Peel the spine off the mat gradually as you press your heels into the floor, lifting your hips.
- Lower back down with control, one vertebrae at a time.
What Are the Benefits?
By slowly rolling the spine off the floor and back down with control, pelvic curls help improve awareness through the pelvis and lower back while training the core to stabilize during motion. Over time, this helps reinforce better posture and movement patterns. The controlled tempo also forces you to slow down, engaging muscles often overlooked during traditional lower-body training.
The gluteus maximus-which is targeted during pelvic curls-is the primary muscle responsible for hip extension, which is essential for walking, climbing stairs, lifting, and running. After years of sitting, many men become less efficient at activating their glutes, which can shift extra stress into the lower back and hamstrings. Pelvic curls work to combat that.
"Pelvis curls force you to slow down," Hernandez says. "Instead of rushing through repetitions, you have to coordinate breath, glute engagement, and spinal control. That combination reinforces focus and helps downshift the nervous system after high-stress days or intense workouts."
Modifications and Progressions
If the full pelvic curl gives you any pain at first, start by focusing on the bridge portion of the movement. Simply lift your hips off the floor while keeping your core braced and glutes engaged. Once that feels comfortable, you can gradually slow the movement down and begin adding the spinal articulation component.
To make it more challenging, extend the pause at the top of each rep for two to three seconds to increase time under tension. You can also experiment with marching variations, lifting one foot slightly off the floor at the top while keeping hips level for increased instability and deeper core work.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Fitness section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 3:06 PM.