THE BIRDDOG EXERCISE: PLEASE, START COACHING IT RIGHT
The birddog is a common drill used in many areas of fitness. It’s especially popular in yoga and Pilates and is sometimes called the donkey kick or chakaravakasana. In plain terms, it’s about coordinating hip and shoulder movement while keeping the spine stable.
But in practice, many people performing this exercise—whether in class, at home, or under a trainer—end up with a form that looks like a large arch in the lower back, ribs flaring, and the neck extended. In short, the spine is not neutral, and the movement loses its stability.
There may be reasons for this setup, but the bottom line is this: the birddog, when done poorly, can do more harm than good.
This is what often happens when I ask someone with back pain to try the birddog. A familiar eye-roll or a hint of frustration follows as they wonder why we’re sticking with this exercise. Very often the same person who has long suffered back pain and has heard praise of the birddog ends up demonstrating the flawed form.
Let me share a recent example. A new client, referred by another local trainer, had years of chronic low-back issues. The prior trainer had many aspects of her program on point, but the birddog tended to become a rote, complacent movement performed with little attention. With just a few targeted cues and a tweak to fit her current ability, we cleaned up her technique and she reported the exercise felt both more challenging and less painful.
The key change was placing a ValSlide under the moving leg. This helps prevent unwanted lumbar extension. With the leg straight, I guided her to lift the foot an inch or two, then “own” the position, holding for a 3–5 count. We did 3–5 repetitions per side, and the effort paid off in better form and a clearer sense of control.
Coaching comes down to paying attention to details, even with simple moves we often take for granted. For the birddog, it helps to slow people down, provide hands-on guidance, and require precise technique on every rep. That kind of coaching is what makes corrective work effective and useful.
So, yes—careful coaching makes all the difference, even with exercises that seem simple at first.
