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Foundationbeginner
Bird Dog
Extend the opposite arm and leg while keeping the spine perfectly still — a gold-standard drill for the deep spinal stabilizers, taught without any spinal loading.
Silent demonstration
Example dosage
Library examples are not a personal prescription. Follow the dose and movement version agreed for your plan.
- Sets
- 2
- Reps
- 6–8 each side
- Intensity
- Hold 2–3 s
- Rest
- 30 s
Bone load
Spine
Hip
Wrist
Equipment
Bodyweight
Written exercise guide
Bird Dog
Set up
- Hands and knees, neutral spine, core gently braced.
Movement cues
- Reach the opposite arm and leg out long
- Keep hips and shoulders square — no twisting
- Move slowly and return with control
Avoid this
- Letting the low back sag
- Rotating the pelvis as the leg lifts
Safety
Keep the spine neutral throughout; this is an anti-movement exercise.
Progress or regress
Make it easier
No alternatives are listed here. Ask your clinician about adaptations.