Dead Bugs Exercise

The Dead Bug exercise aims to improve your core strength, lower back stability, and cross-body coordination, specifically targeting the abdominals and hip flexors.

Start by lying flat on your back, bringing your knees up so your hips and knees are bent at 90-degrees, and reaching both arms straight up toward the ceiling. From this position, slowly lower one arm back past your head whilst, at the same time, extending your opposite leg out toward the floor. At the end of the position, return to the start position and repeat this movement on the opposite side, alternating for the number of reps as suggested in your rehab programme.

You should feel this exercise working the deep muscles across your abdomen and trunk, as they engage to keep your spine supported throughout the movement. Your lower back should remain pressed gently flat against the floor, without arching or allowing a gap to form beneath your spine as your limbs extend. You want to also make sure you perform this movement in a slow, controlled manner rather than using momentum to swing your arms and legs. Try as well to maintain steady breathing, exhaling as you reach away from your centre and inhaling as you bring your arm and leg back to the starting position.

If you need a little help with coordination or holding your spine flat, you can reduce the movement by lowering just your arm or just tapping your heel down, rather than extending both opposite limbs at once.

If this exercise is too easy, you can hold a light dumbbell or loop a resistance band around your feet to make it more challenging.

If you found this exercise helpful, you can also perform two other exercises which work core stability the, Kneeling Plank and Supermans. We have videos of both these exercises on our channel.