core pattern · low impact
Dead bug
Core
Equipmentnone
Positionfloor
Spacesmall
Levelbeginner · returning · intermediate
Set up and move
- Lie on your back with arms up and knees bent over the hips.
- Lower one heel toward the floor while keeping your ribs quiet.
- Return and switch sides.
Three useful cues
- Exhale as the leg moves
- Back stays comfortable
- Move slowly
Breathing: Keep breathing continuously. Exhale through the main effort of strength movements; for mobility, use slow, easy breaths and never force the range.
Common misses
- Moving farther than you can control
- Holding the breath
Make it easier
Reduce the demand.
Tap one heel down without moving the arms.
Make it harder
Add one challenge.
Reach the opposite arm overhead as the leg extends.
When to choose something else
A variation is not a test of toughness.
Skip this movement if it causes sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that feel unusual for you. Movement pages provide general technique education and do not determine whether an exercise is appropriate for an injury or health condition.