Modified Bird Dog

An early, gentle core-stability drill — one limb at a time.

Modified Bird Dog exercise illustration

What it helps

An early, gentle way to build core stability one limb at a time, training your trunk to stay steady as you move.

How to do it

  1. On hands and knees, brace your core to keep your spine still and level.
  2. Slowly slide one arm forward OR one leg back, keeping your back from sagging or twisting.
  3. Return and switch sides.

Tips

  • Move only as far as you can keep your spine perfectly still.
  • Start with just the arms, or just the legs.

Commonly done as 1–2 sets of 8 each side, daily.

Where this appears in recovery

Modified Bird Dog is part of 6 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.