How To Do The Bird Dog Exercise For A Stronger Core?

Introduction

While the bird dog is categorized as a core exercise, it stimulates a wide range of muscles (more on that later) and can support endurance and stability in many different body components. Bird Dog (Parsva Balasana) is also a yoga position. Bird dog is a bodyweight exercise that is done on all fours and can be safely added to workouts of nearly any level. It only requires a mat.

What is a Bird Dog Exercise?

The Bird Dog exercise is a fantastic option if you’re searching for a quick and easy method to strengthen your core, increase your balance, and improve your general stability. From beginners to pro athletes, this low-impact exercise is in many fitness regimens because it works the core, lower back, and glutes.

The Bird Dog improves posture and coordination in addition to core stability by working several muscle groups at once. Learning the Bird Dog exercise is a wise choice whether you’re trying to strengthen your core, recover from an injury, or enhance your sports performance.

We’ll go over the proper way to do the Bird Dog, typical blunders to avoid, and advice to optimize its advantages in this instruction.

What Muscles Does a Bird Dog Exercise Work?

Your center is one of the muscles involved in a bird dog exercise. The muscles involved are located in your buttocks, hips, back, and abs.

Gluteal muscles (glutes). Those group of muscles is situated in the hip region and the pelvis. They include:

• Gluteus maximus. The main muscles involved with hip extension are this particular one. It’s the muscle that makes your leg bend while you move.
• Gluteus medius and Gluteus minimus. The process of hip flexion, or leg movement, is regulated by the following muscles.

If you have weak glutes, your lower body may not be in the right position. This can result in overuse of your quadriceps and hamstrings, which can cause issues like runner’s knee. Lower back pain can also be related to weak glutes.

Abdominal muscles. Those muscles maintain your trunk, facilitate movement, and regulate the pressure inside your abdomen.

There are four major muscle groups in the abdomen:

• Transversus abdominis. This deepest layer of muscles stabilizes your trunk and maintains internal core pressure.
• Rectus abdominis. This is located behind your pelvic bone and ribs at the upper part of your pelvis.
• External oblique muscles. The rectus abdominis has these muscles on either side. Your trunk may bend with them.
• Internal oblique muscles. These are situated directly within your hip bones. They function in the opposite way of your external oblique muscles.

Back muscles. Your back’s skeletal muscles help in mobility while maintaining your spine and trunk. The back muscles are divided into multiple groups:

• Extrinsic or superficial back muscles. These are located near the skin’s surface. These consist of your rhomboids, levator scapulae, and latissimus dorsi (lats).
• The muscles that connect the shoulders are called intermediate in nature muscles. Your serratus posterior superior and inferior are included in this.
• Intrinsic muscles. The transversospinalis and erector spinae groups are two of these deep-lying muscles.

How to perform the Bird Dog Exercise?

To safely do a bird dog exercise, follow these steps:

• Kneel on an exercise mat or the floor. Check that your knees and feet are about halfway apart.
• Place your hands on the carpet and slowly bend forward. Put them right beneath your shoulders. With your fingers facing forward, hold your hands shoulder-width apart. Put your knees exactly beneath your hips.
• To achieve a neutral position, tense your stomach and core muscles. Avoid excessive back slumping and arching.
• To determine whether your hips are rotating and what adjustments you need, ask one of them to position a light bar across your hips, parallel to the waist of your clothing, as you slowly extend and straighten your left leg, keeping it and your hips parallel to the floor.
• Keep your right arm parallel to the floor by slowly raising and straightening it. Maintain both shoulders in line with the ground. To check whether your shoulders rotate, ask a companion to set a light bar across them.
• Return to your initial position by lowering your arm and leg gently.
• Repeat with the other limbs.

Adaptations for the Bird Dog Exercise

Here are some variants on the bird dog exercise that can be used to increase or decrease the level of difficulty. These consist of:

Take it one leg at a time. Raise one limb at a time if you have trouble with the typical bird dog. Another option is to elevate your leg and arm together while maintaining their proximity to the floor.

A bird dog on a dome for balance. Kneeling on the dome’s center. Put your hands beneath your shoulders on the ground. Stretch the leg on the other side behind you. Standing in the direction toward you, extend your right arm. Hold on. Continue on the opposite side.

Another option is to perform the bird dog on a stability ball. Place your hips on top of the ball and lie down. Use your toes to balance as your knees won’t touch the floor.

Crunchy bird dog. Move into bird dog after starting in tabletop position. Hold, then move your opposing knee and elbow toward your center. After you’ve squeezed your abs, go back to the extended position. Continue on the opposite side.

It’s a bird dog on a plank. Start from the high plank position. Your shoulders should be squarely over your hands. Keep the toes on the ground and stand up straight. At the same time, extend the opposing arm and one leg. Repeat on the opposite side after holding and going back to the beginning position.

Bird dog lateral. Extend your arm and opposite leg after starting in the standard bird dog position. Stretch your leg and arm out sideways, a few inches from your body. This strengthens your core. Return to the stretched position gradually. Do it again.

Benefits of Bird Dog Exercise

Strengthens the core. Age or injury can weaken the muscles and ligaments surrounding your spine. Lifting, bending, and twisting become challenging as a result.

The bird dog’s primary goal is the erector spinae muscle. From the skull, neck, and ribs to the vertebrae and hip sacrum, this long back muscle stretches the length of the spine. It is in charge of the spine’s rotation, flexion, and extension.

Bird dog movements are very tough on the rectus abdominis and the obliques, two abdominal muscles. Additionally, this exercise works the deltoids in the shoulder, the trapezius in the upper back, and the gluteus maximus in the buttocks.

In contrast, a robust core:

• keeps your spine safe.
• enhances stability, posture, and balance.
• improves your mobility,
• maintains the health of your back
• relieves pain in the lower back. In the US, between 60% and 80% of people experience lower back discomfort regularly. A lack of core strength is one of the primary reasons for lower back pain.

The bird dog exercise is used for patients by both physical therapists and athletic trainers. Because it works the back and core simultaneously, it is beneficial for developing lower back function.

The bird dog is a safe exercise to practice when recovering from a back injury and may help with lower back discomfort. Everyday activities that require bending and twisting can be made easier with a strong core and stable spine.

Your body learns to use your core and stabilize your lower back while moving your limbs with the bird dog exercise.

Bird Dog Mistakes to Avoid

Bird dog may appear like a simple pose, but it requires appropriate stance and posture. The following advice will help you strike a good pose:

• Maintain a neutral spine. Avoid slouching.
• Throughout, keep your head in alignment with your spine.
• Keep your torso from rotating.
• Only raise your arms and legs high enough to maintain your lower back position.

Safety and Precautions

• When working out, keep your posture straight.
• It is common practice to warm up and stretch before beginning any exercise.
• Before working out, eat something light. Avoid eating just after working out, but do eat when you’re not hungry.
• Stretches should be done as directed by the protocol before and after sets, in addition to performing the number of repetitions needed for each exercise.
• Avoid difficult exercises.
• Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing so you can move freely and relax during your workout.
• Stay away from sudden or strong movements when working out.
• In between workouts, take some time to relax.
• Take your time bending and stretching.
• Although it may be difficult, it is normal and crucial to stretch the stiff muscles in your joints. Stretching and exercise shouldn’t hurt or make you feel like someone is cutting you because they are bad and worsen your condition.
• If a certain movement is difficult for you, record your progress in a weekly journal of how you improve.
• If you are in a lot of pain, stop immediately.

How to do Bird Dog Exercise Video

Conclusion

The Bird Dog exercise is a straightforward yet unexpectedly powerful movement for increasing stability, balance, and core strength. This exercise lowers your chance of injury and supports good posture by using your glutes, lower back, and abdominals.

Keep in mind to keep your form correct, concentrate on controlled motions, and use your core during the entire exercise. Regularly including the Bird Dog in your routine will help you become more functionally fit for daily tasks, increase your coordination, and strengthen your core.

The bird dog workout can be practiced at home or the gym. This bodyweight exercise is a fantastic method to strengthen your core, focus on your posture, and improve your balance. Additionally, you can alter the maneuver to make it as simple or difficult as you would like. Because of its many advantages for core strength, stability, and general functional fitness, the Bird Dog exercise is a priceless addition to any training regimen.

It is appropriate for both beginning and experienced athletes wishing to improve their performance or recover from disease due to its versatility through different adaptations. Frequent practice can result in better body awareness and control, which will greatly enhance mobility and long-term physical health.

FAQs

References

• Cronkleton, E. (2023, October 27). How to perform the bird dog exercise and its core benefits. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/bird-dog-exercise#benefits
• Rogers, P. (2024, June 28). Bird dog exercise: proper form, variations, and common mistakes. Verywell Fit. https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-the-bird-dog-exercise-3498253
• How to do a bird dog exercise. (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/how-to-do-bird-dog-exercise
• Konstantinovsky, M. (1970, January 1). This exercise can boost core stability while improving your mobility and coordination. https://www.onepeloton.com/blog/bird-dog-exercise
• Bozon, J. (2025, January 17). Help your weekly core routine to take flight with the bird dog exercise. Runner’s World. https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/cross-training/a42592393/bird-dog-exercise/
• Cheng, K. (2024, December 16). How to do the bird dog exercise: variations, form, tips and benefits. Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/a61993976/bird-dog-exercise/