Bird Dog Exercise Tutorial
How to Do the Bird Dog Exercise
Overview
Bird Dog is a great exercise to strengthen your core muscles. Your core is a group of muscles that holds up your trunk. You can think of this muscle group as an entire cylinder that surrounds the entire spine including the front of your body, your sides and your back. This exercise can help with back pain, hip pain and pelvic pain. To start, you need to get on all fours. Your knees should be hip width apart and your hands should be under your shoulders. Try to keep a neutral posture and do 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Level
Beginner
Targets
Lower back & pelvis
Step by Step Instructions
Bring your right leg straight out behind you and touch your toes to the ground and return to starting position- Bring your left leg straight out behind you and touch your toes to the ground and return to starting position
- Repeat steps 1 & 2 until you feel comfortable and you can maintain a neutral spine and pelvis
- Raise your left arm at shoulder height in front of you and return to starting position
- Raise your right arm at shoulder height in front of you and return to starting position
- Repeat steps 4 & 5 until you feel comfortable and you can maintain a neutral spine and pelvis
- Do steps 1 & 4 at the same time. Return to the starting position
- Do steps 2 & 5 at the same time. Return to the starting position
- Repeat steps 7 & 8 until you feel comfortable and you can maintain a neutral spine and pelvis
- If you can do this with no problem, you can raise the opposite arm and lift the opposite leg off the ground so that it is fully extended behind you. Your toes should be pointing towards the ground
- Repeat on the opposite side
[Video Transcript]
I’m going to teach you how to do something called Bird Dog. It’s a core exercise designed to strengthen not just your abdominal muscles but your entire core—think of your core as a cylinder that surrounds the spine, including the muscles in the front, sides, and back. This exercise will strengthen that whole system.
All you need to do is get on the ground and onto all fours. Your knees should be about shoulder-width apart and positioned directly under your hips. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart and placed directly under your shoulders. Avoid too much curve in your back or rounding the other way; maintain a neutral spine with those three natural C-shaped curves we always talk about.
First, bring your right leg straight back so your toes are pointed on the ground, then return to the starting position. Next, bring your left leg back and return to start. Notice I’m trying not to move my pelvis—I’m keeping it stable. Many people get shaky here, but you want to keep a neutral pelvis and remain steady.
Now move the arms: reach your left arm straight out in front of you and return to start, then your right arm and return. If you can do that, put it together. As your right leg goes back, your left arm reaches forward; return to start, then switch sides.
If this feels too easy, progress by lifting the leg and opposite arm off the ground at the same time before returning to start. Keep your core very stable so it’s not wobbling. Do your best—start with about five repetitions and work up to twenty. That’s Bird Dog.
Click HERE for Part 2 of How to Do the Bird Dog Exercise
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