I’m a personal trainer — if I had to choose only one exercise to protect my lower back, it would be this

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Bird dogs build crucial core stability and strength

a woman doing the bird dog exercise on a track
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I’ve been a personal trainer for over a decade, but I started hitting the gym regularly in my teens. There are obviously many positives to leading an active lifestyle for so long, but one of the downsides is that I’ve dealt with my fair share of aches, pains, and injuries over the years.

One of my biggest problem areas is my lower back. I’ve tweaked it more times than I can count, even missing days of school during one particularly painful episode. But once I started incorporating one specific exercise into my routine, my lower back issues have been kept in check. That exercise is the bird dog.

Bird dogs are by far my favorite exercise for building core strength and stability, which is crucial for lower back health. They don’t require any equipment besides a yoga mat, and are easy to modify or progress depending on your fitness level.

How to do bird dogs

Bird dogs are a fantastic exercise for almost anyone, but always clear any new activity with your doctor first. They can also be challenging to do correctly at first. Meeting with a certified personal trainer can ensure you’re performing the movement with good form.

an illo of a woman doing a bird dog exercise

(Image credit: Shutterstock)
  • Come to all fours on the mat.
  • Engage your core muscles and keep a neutral spine.
  • Lift your right arm and left leg, keeping your hips square to the mat.
  • Return to the starting position.
  • Lift your left arm and right leg, keeping your hips square to the mat.
  • Return to the starting position.
  • Continue for 10-12 reps on each side.

How to modify bird dogs

Bird dogs look relatively simple, but they can challenge your core strength and coordination. If you’re a beginner or find it difficult to keep good form, consider modifying bird dogs like this.

  • Come to all fours on the mat.
  • Engage your core and keep your spine neutral.
  • Lift your right arm into the air.
  • Lower your right arm down.
  • Lift your left arm into the air.
  • Lower your left arm down.
  • Lift your right leg into the air.
  • Lower your right leg down.
  • Lift your left leg into the air.
  • Lower your left leg down.
  • Continue for 5 reps.

Once you’ve built up a bit of core strength, try lifting the opposing arm and leg off the mat at the same time. Perform all reps on one side, then switch to the other side.

a photo of a woman doing a bird dog exercise

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

How to make bird dogs more challenging

If you’ve got abs of steel, use bird dogs as a part of your warm-up for any type of workout. You can also amp up the difficulty by performing the exercise with a 3-5 pound dumbbell.

  • Come to all fours on the mat, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
  • Engage your core and keep your spine neutral.
  • Lift your right arm and left leg off the mat.
  • Drive your right elbow towards your left knee.
  • Extend your right arm and left leg.
  • Continue for the 10-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Benefits of bird dogs

Bird dogs target multiple muscles in the core, including your deep transverse abdominis and internal obliques, as well as more surface-level muscles like your rectus abdominis and external obliques. Additionally, the move requires effort from erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, hips, and shoulder muscles.

These muscle groups are all responsible for supporting the pelvis and spine, and creating full-body stability. The stronger and more conditioned these muscles are, the less susceptible you are to lower back pain, among other injuries.

Bird dogs can be adapted for most any fitness or ability level, and can be done using additional padding or support for sensitive joints.

They’re also great for improving coordination and balance, which can help those over 65 prevent falls and maintain independence.

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Jennifer Rizzuto
Jennifer Rizzuto

Jennifer Rizzuto is a freelance writer and certified personal trainer based in Long Island, NY. She covers various fitness-related topics and reviews for Tom's Guide. She also writes sketch comedy and short films, and performs frequently as an actor, singer, and improviser. When she's not writing, working out, or performing, you'll find her trying to convince her husband to get a dog.

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