Dead Bug

Teaches your core to keep your spine steady while your arms and legs move.

Dead Bug exercise illustration

What it helps

Teaches your core to keep your spine steady while your arms and legs move — the control that protects your back in daily life.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with your arms reaching toward the ceiling and your knees bent up over your hips.
  2. Gently flatten your low back into the floor by tightening your core.
  3. Slowly lower one arm overhead and the opposite leg toward the floor.
  4. Return, then repeat with the other arm and leg.

Tips

  • Keep your low back pressed gently into the floor the whole time.
  • Move slowly and only as far as you can control.

Commonly done as 1–2 sets sets of 5–8 each side, most days.

Where this appears in recovery

Dead Bug is part of 5 recovery programs, typically in the phase 2 stage. Each program shows how it fits alongside the other movements:

All exercise guides · Condition guides · Recovery education

These are general exercise guides, not a personal prescription. The repetitions and frequency shown are what's commonly used — your own surgeon or therapist may advise something different, and their guidance comes first.