Are you suffering from sciatica or back pain? Most often, we need to strengthen our core to help with symptoms. Core stability includes working not just the abdominals, but deep back muscles as well.
Bird dog is a great core stability challenge that involves being on all 4s, but check you can safely get down to floor level and back up please!
The full version involves raising one arm and the opposite leg off the floor, but you can modify in several ways.
Instead, try just a leg, or an arm, and start with a hover before lifting right off.
Watch for any differences side to side. There should be no shifting of the torso, no twisting of the pelvis, and the spine should always remain long and not rounded.
With repetition, we build strength. Don't worry if you can't lift a limb off the floor, instead focus on lower tummy work and don't hold the breath.
For a full video of this exercise, and more tips on strengthening the core, join us at
Image credit: Angelica Dudkiewicz at Pinterest
