Dead Bug

The low back staying glued to the floor throughout is the entire point of this exercise, and it's easy to lose without realizing it once the arm and leg start moving. The moment the low back arches off the floor, the exercise has stopped training what it's meant to train, regardless of how far the limbs extend.

To train core stability by extending opposite arm and leg while keeping the low back pressed into the floor throughout the movement.

1. 1Lie on the back, arms reaching up toward the ceiling, knees bent to a tabletop position, shins parallel to the floor.
2. 2Press the low back down into the floor, and check that the whole time.
3. 3Slowly extend one arm overhead and the opposite leg out straight, lowering both toward the floor without touching.
4. 4Keep the low back pressed down throughout this extension.
5. 5Return to the starting position with control, then repeat on the other side.
6. 6Continue alternating sides, maintaining the low back position throughout.

Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:

• •Low back stays pressed into the floor throughout the entire movement, the single most important alignment point.
• •Movements happen slowly and with control, not using momentum.
• •Head and neck stay relaxed, not straining to look at the moving limbs.

Exhale during the extension phase, inhale as the limbs return, creating a steady rhythm that also naturally supports keeping the low back down.

The low back is worth tracking throughout the movement, not just at the starting position. It's common for the low back to lift the moment the arm and leg begin extending, especially as the range of motion increases, and that's the cue to reduce the range rather than let the low back arch.

Reflect after practising:

• •The range of motion matters far less than keeping your low back glued down the whole time. A smaller range with a stable low back is doing more for you.
• •This looks simple, but it takes real precision. Slow down if you're losing the low back position.

Rather than mistakes, you may notice:

• •Start with a very small range of motion, barely lowering the arm and leg, to build the low back stability before gradually increasing how far the limbs extend.

• •A smaller range of motion.
• •One limb moving at a time (just the leg, or just the arm) rather than both together.

• ✓Return both knees to tabletop and rest the arms down, pausing before moving to the next exercise.