Who Should Do The Dead Bug?
Those With Tight Lower Backs
Lower pain and back tightness are common sources of discomfort for many people. In 2020, it was reported that 619 million people suffered from low back pain around the world. This area of the body is called the lumbar spine and it is largely influenced by the lower abdominal muscles.
When the lower abdominals are not engaged, active, and as strong as they need to be, the lower back vertebrae may sit in an overly extended position. You should look to target your lower abdominals in your training for lumbar spine balance and a healthy core.
Those Improving Strength
The dead bug is a great strength exercise due to the core control it requires and the resistance effect of the limbs.
Your lower spine is the targeted area for stability with this exercise, as your arms and legs extend and return to the starting position. The natural response to this would be for the back to arch, but the abdominals are tasked to stabilize this and counter that movement.
This ability in the abs is what builds core strength and can even be progressed. By using sources of resistance beyond body weight such as dumbbells or ankle weights, you can effectively boost core strength.
Exercisers Training Coordination
Another great feature of the dead bug is the coordination it teaches the body through limb movement.
Your opposing side arms and legs extend simultaneously as your body’s nervous system must control the actions through the spine. This ability lays down the foundation for your training and maximizes performance for more challenging exercises that require similar movements.
Take the example of a forward lunge while holding a dumbbell overhead with the hand on the opposite side. This is a more complex version of the preparatory movement seen in the dead bug.
Who Should Not Do The Dead Bug?
The Injured
The dead bug is a slow and stationary exercise with a high value for strength and performance. Still, this exercise should not be done if there is pain or injury, especially in the hips, shoulders, and spine.
Significant muscle control is required through the abdominals, upper legs, and shoulders to stabilize those joints. Furthermore, this is done through the vulnerable movement of limbs extending away from the body.
The level of pressure and muscle activation necessary for the dead bug make it ill-advised to perform before you are fully capable. A suggestion would be to perform the same or similar limb actions from an upright posture instead. This can take the pressure of gravity out of the movements to decrease intensity.
Deconditioned Individuals
It may have been a long while since you’ve exercised. Or, maybe you’ve never worked out before at all. You may not even be currently in a gym yet.
In these cases, you might need to establish a baseline of strength and muscle activation first. The coordinated effort posed by the dead bug over multiple joints can be a task needing a ramp-up.
Look through these exercises and choose your starting point while working towards being gym-ready.
Individuals Lacking Motor Control
The dead bug presents obvious performance challenges of strength, stability, and flexibility, that have undoubted value.
A less commonly known benefit of doing this exercise is improved motor control. This is the ability of the body to coordinate a series of muscular actions from a brain-body perspective.
Sometimes a complex movement like the dead bug exercise needs to be learned. Individuals with deep neuromuscular impairments may not be well served by doing the dead bug.
Benefits Of The Dead Bug
Enhances Core Stability
This is probably the most easily apparent benefit to the dead bug. The natural resistance presented by the extension of the limbs produces a reaction to stabilize as leverage for the movement.
This stability is accomplished not just by the superficial muscles, but through deeper stabilization muscles that run closer to your spine.
Here are some other moves that pair nicely with the dead bug to train your spinal stabilizers.
Boosts Athletic Performance
The benefits of the dead bug can have tremendous implications for athletic performance.
Being athletic requires a high level of coordination to perform in the best way possible. The foundation set by the simpler movements of the dead bug can lay the groundwork for these higher-level coordination skills.
As an example, athletes can experience negative consequences from having weak deep core muscles. Research on runners has shown that a weaker core significantly increases the load on the lumbar spine.
Improves Balance
The impact that the dead bug has on balance can be seen most evidently under circumstances of physical activity.
Whether in sports or just a daily activity requiring you to avoid falling, life on your feet requires balance. The motor control and reactiveness this exercise teaches is the source of that balance. This exercise has the potential to be a stepping stone for more challenging balance exercises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, dead bugs are worth it. They will allow you to move through your days while benefiting from their motor and stability benefits.
Which of these is better depends on the situation. The dead bug is better when there’s an additional need to improve coordination and mobility.
If you are not moving limbs and are just holding the position, then 30 seconds is sufficient. The benefits are meant to relate to short bouts of exercise and daily living.
The biggest mistake is to allow your lower back to lift from the floor. Other mistakes include moving too quickly, jerking movements, and using too much resistance.
Resources
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