I’ve been doing the bird dog exercise instead of planks to improve my core strength – it’s even better for beginners

While the bird dog exercise mainly works the core muscles, improving stability and strength, it also targets the lower back, shoulders, hamstrings, and glutes, making it one of the better full-body exercises you can do.

Over the years, I’ve done plank after plank and seen few benefits. It’s just not the exercise for me. I can hold the position for about a minute before everything starts shaking and my forehead starts sweating. Even with practice, it feels torturous.

At the end of a beginner’s Pilates class one day, I was talking to my teacher, and she recommended the bird dog exercise to me. She suggested it wouldn’t cause so much discomfort, but it could still help improve my fitness. As she also recommended the dead bug exercise to me (which I love), I knew I needed to try it.

How to do the bird dog exercise

This exercise starts on all fours, on a thick yoga mat for extra comfort if you want it. Sam Deville, a Pilates instructor and founder of a dynamic online platform of the same name, calls this exercise ‘swimming’ in her classes. She says: “It’s a brilliant move for strengthening the posterior chain (muscles on the back of your body). It looks simple, but when done with proper form, it fires up everything from your glutes and hamstrings to your core and shoulders.”

Here’s how to do it:

• Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back, reaching long through both ends without collapsing into the shoulders or lower back.
• Keep your core engaged and spine in a neutral position. Make sure your hips aren’t rocking or twisting.
• Pause briefly at the top, then return your arm and leg to the centre.
• Repeat the exercise for 10 slow reps, says Deville, focusing on control and alignment.

Expert tip for the bird dog exercise: “A great form-check tip is to place a soft, half-deflated ball on your lower back,” says Deville. “If it rolls off, you’ll know your hips or core need more control. It’s a really nice, simple but effective way to get instant feedback.”

Benefits of the bird dog exercise

• Boosts core strength: In the bird dog, you have to keep your core strong to stop yourself from leaning to one side or sinking, much like in the plank. When done correctly, this exercise “gently works the abdominal muscles, says Susie Martin, a Pilates instructor and physiotherapist who works with Complete Pilates.
• Improves stability: “You might think you’re fit and strong, but get into the bird dog, and you’ll find out. You might be wobbling all over the place,” says Martin. The exercise challenges your full-body stability, which can help in other activities where you have to “transfer power from your legs to your upper body”, she notes, such as racquet sports or strength training.
• Good stretch: It felt like a lovely way to stretch out and unwind at the end of the day after sitting hunched over my computer, and it’s a good way to start the day and get my blood pumping.
• Increases upper-body strength: The bird dog puts us in an unusual position, which means muscle groups are used differently. “It encourages weight bearing through the upper body, which is good for shoulder strength and function,” she says. Plus, you don’t need any weights to do it, making it suitable for a Pilates workout at home or a gym session.
• Aids spinal alignment: Deville says the exercise is also a good option for those with lower back issues as it “builds strength through the back and core without putting too much pressure on the spine”. Always consult your doctor before trying a new exercise if you have these issues, however.

Can you do a weighted bird dog?

Adding weights can make a bird dog harder, helping beginners improve core strength and stability even more, says Deville. You can use dumbbells or ankle weights for this exercise, but an easier way is to incorporate a set of the best resistance bands. These rubber bands are cheap to buy, easy to store at home, and can spread the resistance out from arm to foot, unlike other weight types.

How to do a weighted bird dog with bands

• Set up in the regular bird dog position on all fours.
• Wrap a resistance band around the ankle of the leg that’s stretching out first, bringing it forward and looping it through your fingers of the opposite hand.
• Keeping your core tight and in a controlled way, extend the weighted arm forward and the opposite weighted leg away from each other.

Is the bird dog better than a plank?

The bird dog and the plank have a place in a Pilates abs workout, the experts say. However, beginners may find more benefits with the bird dog exercise, at least to begin with, since it’s more adaptable. You can make it harder or easier with variations or even ankle weights.

However, they are different. “A plank is more intense on the anterior (front) core, while bird dog targets the back body and really challenges the deep stabilisers,” says Deville.

Just like how a squat and the clamshell exercise are equally great at building lower-body strength, but work slightly differently.

Martin recommends learning the proper form for a plank and incorporating both exercises into your workouts, if you can. “The plank is more challenging in terms of higher load for the abdominal and back muscles, which makes it good for those who want to challenge absolute levels of strength,” she says, adding that the bird dog is good for challenging your stability and balance.

How long should you hold the bird dog pose for?

You don’t need to hold the bird dog pose for long for it to be effective. If you want to work on your endurance and balance, Deville recommends holding at the top for five to 10 seconds. But she adds that control, extending and returning your arms and legs with precision, is most important.