Building Core Strength with the Dead Bug Exercise for Beginners
Revised by Stephanie Zaban (Registered Kinesiologist & Masters of Kinesiology)Table of Contents
What Is a Dead Bug Exercise
The Dead Bug is a bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the core muscles including the rectus abdominis, and the internal and external obliques. It is a great exercise to build core strength and even reduce lower back pain.
The Dead Bug is a commonly prescribed exercise for those who have pain, due to the safety of performing the exercise on your back. This exercise is aptly named after its resemblance to a Dead Bug lying on its back.
How to Do Dead Bug Exercise
The Dead Bug is a simple exercise to learn and involves no equipment. To learn how to perform the Dead Bug, follow the steps below.
Begin by lying down on your back with your arms extended reaching towards the ceiling, and your legs in the air with your hips and knees bent at 90-degrees. Be sure to squeeze the shoulder blades together against the floor. It is okay to have a slight arch in the lower back.
Once you are in position, simultaneously extend one leg and the opposite arm. Your leg will be extended straight out, refrain from contacting the ground. Your arm will be extended straight above your head, also not touching the ground. Avoid elevating the shoulders up to your ears as you extend the arm.
As you are lowering your limbs to towards the floor, be sure to keep your core braced and the ribcage down to avoid tilting the hips and overarching your lower back.
Once you have extended one arm and one leg, return to the original position in step 1. Next, repeat the movement on the remaining arm and leg and keep alternating limbs until you have repeated the required amount of reps. You have now completed the Dead Bug!
Dead Bug Exercise Muscles Used
The Dead Bug primarily requires strength and stability from the core muscles including,
Other muscles involved in moving the arms and legs include,
Dead Bug Exercise Benefits
The Dead Bug is a versatile exercise that can provide many benefits including,
Core strength
Core stability
Coordination
Improved posture
Reduce low back pain
Not only does the Dead Bug provide so many amazing benefits, it also is a great exercise for beginners, and those with limited space and equipment. Additionally, the Dead Bug can also easily be progressed or made simpler for those who have very limited strength and range of motion.
Why Is the Dead Bug Exercise Useful
Once again, the Dead Bug is such an advantageous exercise because of its many variations and limited equipment needed. The multiple muscles that are engaged during the exercise will help to make many activities of daily living easier which can increase your quality of life.
Most importantly, the Dead Bug puts low forces on the spine while working core, lower back and hip flexor muscles. Because of the low impact and stress of this exercise, it is incredibly useful for preventing or managing low back pain, as well as improving strength and stability.
Dead Bug Exercise Progression
There are many simple ways to progress a Dead Bug. First, start by increasing the number of reps or sets that you are performing. Once you feel that you have maximized the bodyweight variation of the Dead Bug, you can progress to variations of the exercise the include resistance, (such as free weights, ankle weights or bands) static holds or adding in additional movement. Keep reading below for some examples of ways to progress the Dead Bug.
Dead Bug with a Bosu Ball
When you feel like you have mastered the Dead Bug, and are looking for your next challenge, performing the Dead Bug on a Bosu Ball will challenge your stability and core strength. Simply place a Bosu ball underneath your back and perform the Dead Bug as usual.
Dead Bug with Stability Ball
Get into the Dead Bug starting position and hold a stability ball between your hand and knees. Do not let the ball touch your chest. Begin to perform the Dead Bug exercise as usual but be sure to keep the stability ball elevated using one hand and the opposite leg. This variation will further challenge your core strength and stability.
Modified Dead Bug Exercise
The Modified Dead Bug Exercise is an easier approach to core strengthening. This can be done by putting one footdown or even one hand down.