The bird dog exercise is a popular core stability exercise used to strengthen the lower back and hip muscles. It is commonly recommended by fitness trainers and physical therapists as part of a core strengthening routine. But is the bird dog exercise really effective for building core strength? Let’s take a closer look at the evidence.
What is the bird dog exercise?
The bird dog exercise works the core stabilizer muscles along the spine as well as the gluteus muscles. To do this exercise:
- Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position
- Engage your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine
- Lift your right arm forward and extend it in front of you at shoulder height, keeping your arm straight
- At the same time, extend your left leg straight back behind you, keeping your leg in line with your body
- Your right arm and left leg should be parallel to the ground forming a straight line from fingertips to toes
- Hold this position for 2-3 seconds
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side, extending your left arm forward and right leg backward
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions
Proper form is critical when performing the bird dog exercise. Be sure to keep your gaze down, spine neutrally aligned, and core braced throughout the movement. Avoid arching your back or sagging your hips.
Muscles worked
When done correctly, the bird dog exercise engages the following major muscle groups:
- Core muscles – The rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques are activated to stabilize the spine during the bird dog movement.
- Glutes – The gluteus maximus and medius are strengthened by the hip extension required during the bird dog.
- Lower back – The erector spinae muscles are activated to extend the spine and maintain a neutral alignment.
- Shoulders – The deltoids, rotator cuff, and upper back muscles are worked by extending the arm forward.
Because the bird dog involves opposing arm and leg extension, it also improves coordination and balance.
Benefits
Including the bird dog in your core routine provides several benefits:
- Builds core stability – The bird dog improves recruitment of the transverse abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor muscles that stabilize the spine and pelvis.
- Improves lower back health – Strengthening the core reduces stress on the lumbar spine to alleviate and prevent lower back pain.
- Enhances posture and balance – The coordination required to perform the bird dog improves posture and balance.
- Prevents injuries – A stronger core provides more support for the spine to reduce the risk of injuries from activities like lifting, running, and jumping.
- Increases hip mobility – The hip extension involved in the bird dog can help improve flexibility and range of motion at the hip joint.
For these reasons, the bird dog can benefit everyone from office workers seeking to alleviate back pain to athletes looking to improve sports performance.
Effectiveness for core strength
Multiple studies have looked at the effectiveness of the bird dog for targeting the core musculature. Here is a summary of the research:
- A 2016 study published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation compared the bird dog to several other core exercises like crunches and plank. They found that the bird dog resulted in greater activation of the abdominal obliques compared to these other exercises.
- An electromyography (EMG) study in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies measured muscle activity during the bird dog. They found significant activation of the lumbar multifidus, a key spinal stabilizer, confirming the bird dog effectively targets the core.
- A 2015 study in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy had subjects with low back pain perform bird dog exercises. After 6 weeks, they showed improvements in pain levels and core strength, demonstrating the efficacy of bird dog for those with back issues.
Based on these studies, there is good evidence that the bird dog exercise activates key core musculature. The research supports use of the bird dog to improve core stability when performed correctly with good form.
How to incorporate into a core workout
The bird dog can be included as part of a well-rounded core stability routine. Here are some tips for getting the most out of this exercise:
- Warm up – Warm up your core first with simple moves like cat-cow stretch and plank.
- Start slow – Begin with sets of 5-10 reps, focusing on proper form. Gradually increase reps as you build core strength.
- Pay attention to form – Maintain a neutral spine and do not arch your back. Keep your movements slow and controlled.
- Progress the exercise – Try more challenging variations like extending your leg and opposite arm at different heights or hovering your leg slightly off the ground.
- Combine with other core moves – For best results, follow up your bird dogs with exercises like dead bug, side plank, and Pallof press.
A good core routine might include 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps of bird dog paired with 1-2 other complementary core exercises for 2-3 rounds.
Common mistakes
It’s important to maintain proper form with the bird dog exercise to avoid injury and get maximum benefits. Here are some common mistakes to be aware of:
- Arching the back – Letting your back sag or overarching can put excessive strain on the lumbar spine.
- Not engaging your core – Forgetting to brace your abs makes it harder to stabilize your spine.
- Moving too quickly – Doing the repetitions too fast prevents you from controlling the movement and targeting the muscles properly.
- Improper alignment – Not keeping your leg, arm, and torso in a straight line reduces core activation.
- Dropping your hip – Allowing your hips to twist or drop to the ground takes your spine out of proper alignment.
Keep your core tight, move through the full range of motion in a slow, controlled manner, and maintain proper alignment from head to toe on each rep. Have a trainer check your form if needed.
Who should not do the bird dog
While the bird dog is appropriate for most people, you may want to avoid this exercise if you have:
- Acute lower back injury – Wait until any pain or inflammation has resolved before attempting bird dogs.
- Herniated disc – The extension may increase nerve impingement.
- Spinal joint instability – Hypermobile joints may move beyond their normal range during the bird dog.
- SI joint dysfunction – The unilateral leg lift could exacerbate sacroiliac joint pain.
- Hip injury – Extending an injured hip joint places additional stress on damaged tissues.
Consult your doctor if you have any concerns about doing bird dogs with your specific spinal or musculoskeletal issue.
Modifications
There are a few possible modifications to make the bird dog more accessible:
- Shorter range of motion – If extending your arm and leg is too challenging, try performing smaller movements closer to the body.
- No leg lift – Focus just on extending the opposite arm while keeping both knees down.
- No arm reach – Only lift the leg, keeping both hands on the floor under your shoulders.
- One side at a time – Alternate lifting just the right arm and left leg, then switch to the opposite arm and leg.
- With resistance bands – Loop a band around your foot and hand to increase resistance during the movement.
You can also decrease reps or use lighter resistance to reduce intensity as needed while building strength.
Conclusion
When performed properly, the evidence indicates that the bird dog is an effective exercise for targeting the core stabilizer muscles along the spine as well as strengthening the glutes and lower back. Incorporating this move into your core strengthening routine provides benefits for balance, mobility, injury prevention and back pain. Be sure to maintain proper form, start slowly, and modify the bird dog exercise according to your fitness level and health status to improve your core strength and stability.