How to do a Bird Dog
- Start on all fours with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Draw your belly toward your spine and set a flat, neutral back.
- Reach one arm forward and the opposite leg straight back to hip height.
- Pause and squeeze your glute without letting your hips tilt or twist.
- Return with control and repeat on the other side.
Keep in mind
- Reach the arm and the opposite leg long, not high.
- Keep the hips square to the floor.
- Brace so the torso doesn't rotate as you extend.
- Pause for a second at full reach before you switch.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the leg too high, which arches the lower back — keep it at hip height.
- The hips tipping open — square them up and reach less far.
- Swinging the arm and leg out fast — move slowly and stop at the end of the reach.
Breathing
Breathe out as you extend, in as you return.
Take care
Put a folded towel under the knees on a hard floor, and keep the neck long rather than looking up.
Easier and harder
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