The bird dog trains your trunk to stay steady while your arms and legs move. From hands and knees, you reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back, and your back should not sag or twist while you do it.

How to do the bird dog

Start on your hands and knees on a mat. Hands under shoulders, knees under hips, back flat and head in line with your back.
Gently tighten your stomach as if someone is about to poke it. Keep breathing.
Reach one arm forward and the opposite leg straight back at the same time, for example your right arm and left leg. Lift them only to the height of your body.
Hold for a few seconds. Your back should not arch and your hips should not tip.
Bend the same elbow and knee and bring them in under your body toward each other, then reach them out again.
Do your reps on one side, then switch sides.

What you should feel

Your back and your middle working, plus the buttock of the leg you lift. It is effort you can control, not a strain.

Common mistakes

Lifting the leg too high, which arches the lower back.
Hips rotating toward the lifted leg. Imagine a glass of water resting on your lower back.
Holding your breath.

How often

A common start is 1 to 2 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side. Hold each reach for a few seconds at first and build up to about 8 to 10 seconds. A few steady reps are worth more than a lot of wobbly ones. Your physio will set the numbers with you.

Stop and check with your physio if

Your back hurts more during or after the exercise and it does not settle.
You get pain running down your leg, or numbness or tingling.
Your knees or wrists hurt from taking your weight. Ask your physio about padding under you or another position.

From the clinic

Wobbling in the full version? Start with the leg only and keep both hands on the floor. Add the arm once the leg movement feels solid.

You can leave out the tuck in step 5. Many back programs use a simpler version where the hand and knee go back down on the floor after each reach. Stick with that one if the tuck bothers your back or you have osteoporosis. After back surgery, keep to it until your surgeon and physio say bending the spine is fine.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-25.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Bird dog