Strength · Beginner
Bird Dog
The Bird Dog is a floor exercise where you extend one arm and the opposite leg while balanced on hands and knees. It trains your core, lower back, and glutes to work together — the same teamwork your body needs for walking, carrying groceries, and getting up from a chair. Because it's low-impact and done close to the ground, it's a safe way to build real stability without stressing your joints.
Category
Strength
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Bodyweight
MET
3.5
Primary muscles
The movement
Form cues
- 01
Start on hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
- 02
Look down at the floor so your neck stays in line with your spine — not craning up or tucking down.
- 03
Before you move, tighten your stomach like you're bracing for a gentle punch.
- 04
Slowly reach your right arm straight forward while sliding your left leg straight back — both moving at the same time.
- 05
Keep your hips level: imagine a full glass of water sitting on your lower back that you don't want to spill.
- 06
Hold the extended position for two full seconds, breathing normally — don't hold your breath.
- 07
Bring your arm and leg back to the floor with control, then repeat on the other side.
- 08
Move slowly enough that you feel steady the whole time — speed is not the goal here.
Dosage
How long, how many
Sets
3
Reps
8-12
Rest
60 sec
Watch for
Common mistakes
Letting the hips rotate or hike up — if your shirt twists or you feel your hip rising, slow down and reduce how high you lift the leg.
Swinging the arm and leg out fast instead of reaching long and slow — if you feel yourself rocking side to side, you're moving too quickly.
Dropping the head to look forward or up — if your neck feels strained, you're probably craning; keep your gaze at the floor.
Holding your breath during the hold — if you notice you're turning red or feel lightheaded, exhale steadily through the movement.
Bending the knee of the extended leg — if your heel is near your backside instead of in line with your hip, straighten the leg fully.
Scale it
Easier and harder variations
Easier
Do arm-only or leg-only reaches first: extend just one arm forward while both knees stay planted, then practice the leg reach separately until you feel steady.
Use this if you feel wobbly or have trouble keeping your hips level when doing both limbs together.
Harder
At full extension, slowly bring your elbow and knee toward each other under your torso, then extend back out before returning to the floor.
Try this once you can hold the basic position steadily for three seconds without any hip rocking.
Note
Place a folded towel under your knees for cushioning, or do the movement standing at a wall: lean one hand on the wall for support and lift the opposite knee instead of extending the leg back.
Use the standing version if kneeling causes knee or wrist pain.
Sources
Form descriptions and cues are sourced from wger (CC-BY-SA 4.0) and the Free Exercise DB (public domain), edited for the 60+ audience. MET value cites Ainsworth BE, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(8):1575-1581.
- wger · CC-BY-SA 4.0
- claude