back focus
Bird Dog
Builds core and spinal stability with controlled limb movement.
Key cue: Reach long, not high: keep your back as flat as a table.
Area
back
Level
intermediate
Volume
3 sets × 8/side
Goal
recovery
How to do it
- 1Start on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your back flat and your neck long.
- 2Brace your tummy gently, as if you were about to be tapped there.
- 3Slide one leg straight back along the floor, then lift it to hip height, keeping your hips level.
- 4Raise the opposite arm to shoulder height and hold for 2 seconds.
- 5Lower both with control and swap sides.
Easier and harder versions
- Easier
- Practise with just one arm or just one leg, or slide your foot back along the floor without lifting it.
- Harder
- Hold each lift for 5 seconds, or draw your elbow and knee together under your body before reaching out again.
Helps with
Commonly used for:
Lumbar stabilityPost-acute back painPoor trunk control
Part of these condition plans
Where it fits in the step-by-step plans on our condition pages.
Benefits
- Improves spine stability
- Reduces low-back pain risk
- Builds balanced strength
Muscles worked
Strengthening. Strengthens your core, glutes, spinal erectors and shoulders.
CoreGlutesSpinal erectorsShoulders
Form tips
- Reach long through your heel and fingertips rather than lifting high.
- Imagine a glass of water balanced on your lower back.
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips tilt or your back sag as you lift.
- Lifting the leg higher than your hip, which makes the back arch.
When to avoid or modify
- Sharp pain in your back as you lift an arm or leg: stop and keep your limbs on the floor
- Shoulder or wrist pain when taking weight on your hands: rest on your forearms or skip it
- Sore knees on a hard floor: pad them with a folded towel
- Recent abdominal or spinal surgery, unless cleared
- New numbness around your groin or inner thighs, or changes in bladder or bowel control: get urgent medical help straight away
If in doubt, check with a qualified physiotherapist before continuing.
Where to go from here
The ladder