Do this exercise to relieve back pain, says renowned spine expert
Back pain can range from mildly discomforting to downright debilitating. It can impact our lives in so many ways – from bending over or picking objects up off the floor, to even simply walking. That's where the bird dog, developed by spine biomechanics expert Dr Stuart McGill, comes in: it's one of his 'Big 3' movements that have become the industry go-to for reducing stress on the back while increasing back fitness and stability, and helping to build pain-free movement after injury.
The bird dog involves raising an arm and the opposite leg while on all fours. keeping a neutral spine while bracing your core. After practising just a few times a day, even if you are experiencing a lot of pain, you'll be well on your way to reducing discomfort. Here's Dr McGill's complete guide to the bird dog, including how to do it with proper form, common mistakes, and variations.
Meet the expert: Renowned spine biomechanics expert Dr Stuart McGill developed the bird dog as part of the Big 3 exercises. He is the chief scientific officer for BackFitpro, 'distinguished professor emeritus' at the University of Waterloo, and the author of Back Mechanic: The step-by-step McGill method to fix back pain.
What is the bird dog exercise?
'The bird dog, also known as the quadruped, is a bodyweight exercise that improves back pain by strengthening the back and core, and stabilising the spine without loading it excessively,' says Dr McGill in Back Mechanic: The step-by-step McGill method to fix back pain. You learn to build muscular fitness while maintaining stability and control.
'If someone has an injury to a disc in their spine, creating a corset around their spine engineers out the pain,' says Dr McGill. 'It restores normal joint stiffness, which injury causes a loss of.' The bird dog therefore creates a stabilising structure in the spine and in a way that doesn't crush it and create excessive load.
'As the bird dog targets the back, it should be coupled with the other two exercises in the McGill Big 3: the side plank for the side and the modified curl up for the front abdominals. Now you've created a three-dimensional corset around your spine.'
Muscles worked
Back (longissimus, iliocostalis, multifidus)
Abdominal / core muscles (traversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques)
Hip extensors
How to do the bird dog exercise
A) While on all fours, position your spine into into a pain-free position. Your thoracic spine (middle section) is curved slightly upward. Engage your abs to control your torso and ensure that movement will be focused just around your hips and shoulders.
B) Kneel down on all fours and then raise the opposite arm and leg simultaneously. Do not raise the arm higher than the shoulder, nor the leg past the height of the hips. The objective is to be able to hold the limbs parallel to the floor for about six to eight seconds.
C) The bird dog is improved by 'sweeping' the upraised hand and knee along the floor between 'holds'.
Benefits of the bird dog
According to Dr McGill, the bird dog has several benefits.
1. Relieves back pain
As an exercise to help you manage and ultimately reduce back pain, the bird dog minimises stress on the spine and does not subject it to high stress loads. The emphasis on keeping a locked, neutral spine throughout also means that the spine is in its least stressed and most resilient and aligned position, in turn encouraging proper posture.
2. Improves spinal stability
At the same time, the bird dog also builds muscles in the back and core, teaching you to maintain spinal stability and control. 'It challenges both lumbar (lower) and thoracic (middle) portions of the major back muscles (longissimus, iliocostalis, and multifidus)', Dr McGill says.
3. Teaches proper hip and shoulder motion while stabilising the spine
Because you're trying 'to stiffen your abs and control your torso to ensure that movement only occurs around the hips and shoulders', you learn to engage these areas correctly, thus also improving balance and coordination.
4. Improves core strength
The bird dog is an anti-rotational exercise, because by raising your arm and leg you'll need to engage your abs and stiffen your core to ensure you stay in position and avoid twisting.
5. Builds endurance
The bird dog builds muscular endurance, which allows you to add activities back into your lifestyle that previously caused pain.
Common mistakes when doing the bird dog
Dr McGill notes these common mistakes in Back Mechanic when performing the bird dog.
1. 'Hip hiking'
'This is where you twist the spine, either because of a lack of core strength or tight hips', Dr McGill clarifies. Eventually, this will cause pain and reduce your ability to progress to more challenging levels. Brace your core to keep a neutral spine (neither too curved or rounded).
2. Raising the arm and leg too high
Raise your limbs just to hip height and hold them parallel to the floor.
3. Too much lower-back extension
Instead of extending the hip – straightening the hip by moving the leg backward – you may bend your lower back too much to get the leg higher. Keep your leg about hip height and, if necessary, place a weight on your back, which will move if any lower-back extension happens.
Variations of the bird dog
1. Lifting one hand
'For those in the most pain with extremely tender backs, simply lifting one hand up might be all they can do to establish some muscle training without triggering pain', says Dr McGill.
A) Start with shoulders over your hands and hips over your knees. Emphasise abdominal bracing and a neutral spine.
B) If you need, start raising a hand by bending one elbow. Hold for 10 seconds. If this is challenging enough, stay here.
C) Otherwise, progress to extending the arm and then one leg at a time alternately. Raise them to the point of challenge but no pain.
2. 'Sweep the floor'
The bird dog can be modified by 'sweeping' the raised hand and knee along the floor between 'holds', advises Dr McGill. This relieves stress on the lower-back muscles and avoids muscle cramps.
A) Every 10 seconds sweep the hand and knee to the floor with all movement coming from the hips and shoulder joints – there is no movement in the spine. This should not involve bearing any weight on either the hand or the foot in motion.
3. Pushing the heel away
A) To target the lower back, glutes and hamstrings, try pushing the heel away while keeping the foot flexed (the opposite of pointing your toes). This will also reduce the tendency for 'hip hiking'.
4. Standing bird dog
For those who have knees compromised with arthritis, knee replacements, or have difficulties getting to the floor, perform the bird dog while standing.
A) First just raise one arm, then just one leg.
B) Eventually raise one arm and the opposite leg only moving your shoulders and hips.
5. 'Drawing squares'
When you've mastered the basic 'hold and sweep' pattern of repetitions, you can progress to 'drawing squares'.
A) While in the 'hold' position, draw your fist to the side (laterally) away from your midline and concentrate on arm extension. Your foot follows the same pattern as your hand.
B) Draw your hand and foot out and away, down, across to the midline and up to the start position. The square should be no larger than a foot (30cm) in size. The activation of your upper extensors, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi and lower trapezius will be greatly enhanced by this simple fist-clinching movement.
Bird dog exercise routine
Create a sets/reps programme based on a descending pyramid, says Dr McGill.
A) Try four 10-second holds on the right side, then repeat on the left. Rest about 30 seconds.
B) Perform 3 reps on each side, rest, then repeat to reps on each side.
When more challenge is needed, add 1 rep to each set, but do not increase the 10-second holding time. This short holding time reduces the risk of triggering muscle cramp pain, Dr McGill notes.
If you can't exercise for 10 minutes without pain, try three sessions over the day lasting six minutes each.
Eventually, work to longer holding times once back pain has subsided.
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