Exercise of the week – The Bird Dog
A much as we all know how much you love a good 5-minutes-bridge every now and then its always important to go back to the basics, especially when it comes to core strength. One of the best core slash lower back strengthening exercises you can do is “The Birddog” (who comes up with these names!?). None the less it’s a great exercise that can be done quickly and at home or work with now equipment, as a warm up or cool down.
HOW TO: Begin on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Without arching back and keeping your head in line with the spine, extend your right arm and left leg up. Make sure your arm and leg are level with the back. Balance and hold this position for 5 seconds before returning to starting position. Now perform the same movement using the opposite arm and leg, perform 10 repetitions for each arm/leg combination for 3 sets. Be conscious of your heel position – it must travel higher than your head.
Note: When performing core exercises, breathing is key. Breath OUT on the contraction/initial phase, and IN on the release/rest phase.