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Lower back, neck and shoulders

Dead Bug: Arms Only

The most accessible dead bug: arms-only movement with stable legs places virtually no demand on your lower back while teaching your core how to stabilise.

Stability / Core30 to 60 seconds
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How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet down

    Reach both arms straight up toward the ceiling. A pillow under the head is fine.

  2. 2

    Let your legs stay completely still

    Nothing below the waist moves in this version, which is what makes it the lightest of the family.

  3. 3

    Set your lower back neutral and keep it there

    Not flattened, not arched. This is the reference you are protecting.

  4. 4

    Lower one arm overhead, slowly, then return

    Take it only as far as the ribs stay down and the back stays where you set it. Then change arms.

  5. 5

    Continue for 30 to 60 seconds

    Use a smaller arm range whenever the back position starts to shift.

What to watch for

The ribs flaring and the lower back lifting as the arm travels back overhead. The arm stops where the back starts to move, which for many people is well short of the floor.

Ways to adjust it

  • Reduce range

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Dead Bug versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

One movement is a start. A session is the thing.

A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.

Start your first session

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.