The Bird Dog Exercise

I asked one of my patients a few days ago if she did her home exercises for her lower back and she replied, "Well, I did some of them and I did the bird dog exercise really really fast because I had to go to work early and I was in a hurry." I then had her demonstrate how she did it and pretended I wasn't around. What I saw startled me. She did it very fast as her focus was getting it done ASAP.

The bird dog exercise is probably one of the most commonly used exercises you will see in PT clinics, Gyms or even Chiropractic offices. But I wanted to take some time today and discuss this exercise. Some clinicians may hand this exercise off to a tech and have them supervise the patient doing this. Although I cannot argue with that, I believe that the first time someone ever does this simple exercise and they're in PAIN, the therapist or the trainer has to be there to look at form and focus more on quality over quantity. It's a no brainer, right?

5 KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER

1. FORM. Keep the pelvis in neutral position. I always tell patients to find their "happy middle" between posterior and anterior pelvic tilt and stay on it while performing the Bird Dog exercise. This helps facilitate core stabilization while they perform the exercise. I also instruct to point the toes down to tighten the quadriceps and hamstrings at the same time. That helps stabilize the position. Elbows should not be locked and shoulder of the raised arm in neutral (thumbs up! - see below).

2. ABS IN. I always say "tighten your abs and squeeze your butt together and maintain that (without holding your breath) and keep it tight while you lift the arm and leg (opposite arm and opposite leg of course)."

3. QUALITY VERSUS QUANTITY. I would typically instruct a patient to do 2 sets of 10 and he or she will tell me that they have done this at home but because they are in a hurry to leave the house and go to work, they do it really fast. So what I do, is I let them demo this in the clinic and ask them to do it and pretend I am not around. Most of the time, they would do it a lot faster than I typically instruct them to do. If they really don't have time to do it in the morning, I let them split it into 1 set in the morning and 1 in the evening. That way, they can go slower and focus on form. You, as a clinician have a better chance of helping them become more compliant to their exercise.

4. THUMBS UP. Take care of your shoulders, and your back will take care of you. Some of my clients have some concomitant shoulder issues while seeing me for a lumbar problem so I make sure the shoulder stays in NEUTRAL position in this exercise. Having the thumbs up position as studies have shown helps decrease the incidence of Subacromial impingement. It's also just more comfortable. If you're doing a back workout, why not take care of your shoulder too, right?

5. IT'S GREAT FOR OVERALL BACK WARM UP. Whether you're doing Yoga or about to hit the weight rack, this exercise is just a great overall warm up for you. Since so many different muscles from the shoulder, spine and hips cross this area, this exercise helps you loosen up and prepare you for a more rigorous workout regimen. 

Looking for a SPINE AND LOWER BACK PAIN SPECIALIST in ROSEBURG, OREGON? Click HERE!