Targets deep core and spinal stabilisers
No equipment needed
Beginner-friendly
Improves core stability and coordination
Can be done anywhere
Step 1
Lie on your back on a mat with your arms extended straight up toward the ceiling and palms facing your feet. Bend your knees and bring your legs into tabletop position, knees stacked directly over your hips and shins parallel to the floor. Press your lower back gently into the mat and draw your ribs toward your hips to engage your core. This is your starting position.
Step 2
Inhale to prepare. As you exhale, slowly lower your left arm back toward the floor overhead while simultaneously extending your right leg toward the floor. Keep both limbs just above the floor at the bottom, and maintain a neutral spine throughout. Your lower back should not arch away from the mat, so if it does, reduce your range of motion.
Step 3
Inhale and return your left arm and right leg to the starting position with control.
Step 4
Exhale and repeat on the other side, lowering your right arm and left leg toward the floor simultaneously. Inhale to return. Continue alternating sides for the specified number of reps. Move slowly, as this is a control exercise, not a speed one.
Exercise Benefits
The deadbug is one of the best exercises for building deep core stability. Unlike crunches or sit-ups, it trains your core to resist movement and protect your spine while your limbs are moving, which is exactly what your core needs to do in real life and in the gym. It's particularly useful for people with lower back pain, as it strengthens the stabilising muscles around the spine without loading it. Deceptively simple when done slowly and with full control, which is the only way to do it properly.
