The Bird-Dog exercise in Fitness PILATES, when done correctly, can provide a host of benefits, including:

• Improved core stability
• Improved shoulder stability for the side that is grounded.
• Improved shoulder mobility for the side that is moving.
• Better body awareness and coordination.
• Stronger glutes, lower back, and ab muscles.
• The ability to brace your spine while deadlifting and performing sets of back squats
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This article is going to discuss how to do the bird dog properly, and expand on the benefits of it.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of the bird dog:

• Get on your hands and knees with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Maintain a neutral spine. If you were to place a stick or dowel from your head to your butt, it should touch your butt, back. 
• Raise your opposite arm and leg straight out while keeping your core tight and your body in a straight line from head to foot. 
• Return to the starting position and repeat.
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You can perform all the reps on one side or alternate sides, whichever is preferable for you.

Benefits of the Bird-Dog

The main purpose of the bird dog is to promote spinal stability.

Here’s how it works: By extending your opposite arm and leg you’re targeting the erector spinae muscle, which extends from your neck to the hip and is responsible for the flexion and rotation of your spine. You’ll also engage your core, glutes, and shoulders  — bolstering your stability in these muscles — and improve your coordination. The bird dog teaches you how to stiffen the muscles around your spine to create more rigidity. 

Tips on proper form - Avoid these two mistakes when performing the bird dog exercise:

• Don’t shift your hips. As you extend an opposite arm and leg, your hips are naturally going to want to shift from side to side. This hip shift deactivates your core, which, when squeezed, will keep your hips locked into place. 
• Don’t arch your lower back. The point of this movement is to promote a rigid, neutral spine. Arching your back is the antithesis of this goal.

Sometimes, simple is best. The bird dog isn’t fancy, but it provides a bevy of benefits for your core, spine, and full-body coordination.

Below you will find a video of how to perform the Bird-Dog, which I hope you will find helpful. This, along with so many other stability and mobility exercises are all taught in our Fitness PILATES classes in Totton and Calmore near Southampton in Hampshire and we cater for all levels of experience. If  you'd like to find out more about our Fitness PILATES Classes, please click here.