This exercise has so many options and is by far one of the BEST exercises for low back pain injuries. The bird dog is designed to help rehab the muscles required to keep us upright and move in the incredibly complicated and coordinated manor that is unique to upright walking. This information comes from the Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative in partnership with the Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation.
Instructions:
1. Balance on your hands and knees with a slight arch in your low back and your eyes looking slightly ahead of your hands.
2. Gently slide one foot back until the leg is straight. Don't let your back twist and don't let your arms bend as you move into this position.
3. Hold this position for 3 seconds and then slide the foot back in. Repeat on the other side.
4. Complete 10x on each side 2-3x/day
5. ADVANCE: to advance this exercise lift your foot off the ground without moving the rest of your body or arching your back.
6. ADVANCE: to advance further, extend the opposite arm (start by keeping the hand and foot on the ground and then progress to lifting one, then both).