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"author": {
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"name": "Elisa Silva"
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"name": "Warrior Made",
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"headline":"How To Do A Drinking Bird With Perfect Form",
"datePublished":"2018-01-12",
"dateModified": "2019-10-31",
"description":"Learn How To Do A Drinking Bird With Perfect Form.",
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<article>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="#section1">Instructions</a></li>
<li><a href="#section2">Things to Keep in Mind</a></li>
<li><a href="#section3">Conclusion</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<section>
<p>Single-leg lower body exercises have many excellent benefits including increased core stability, improved balance, and more symmetrical muscle strength. However, for the beginner, these exercises can be quite challenging and you may find you need to build up your lower body strength before testing out any single-leg moves. That’s why today we’re going to teach you a move that’s a great first step towards performing single-leg exercises: the drinking bird.</p>
<p>For the drinking bird, stand upright with your hands clasped behind your head. Now bend your torso down as far as you can and press back up to a standing position. This move is great for working your leg muscles— particularly your glutes and hamstrings— as well as your lower back and core.</p>
<p>To do this exercise correctly, focus in on gripping the ground with your feet, doing so will help strengthen them, and boosting your foot strength will ward off typical aches and pains including plantar fasciitis, ankle pain, knee pain, and hip pain. By maintaining an extended spine and really pulling your arms back during the exercise, this move can also have a positive impact on your posture.</p>
<p>If the drinking bird proves a little too difficult for you at first, begin by placing your hands on your hips until you’ve worked up to trying it with your hands behind your head.</p>
<p>Once you’ve perfected the drinking bird, you can move on to high knees. High knees are a high-energy exercise where you’ll alternate lifting each of your knees up to your chest. As you build up speed, you’ll add a cardio boost to the exercise which will help you work on balance and build the strength necessary to move up to the advanced version.</p>
<p>From there, you’ll be ready to tackle the alternating one leg drinking bird, an advanced variation of the drinking bird in which you’ll lift one leg behind you as you bend your torso forward rather than keeping both of your feet planted on the ground. This move is going to really challenge you, forcing you to maintain your balance while working those glutes and hamstrings extra hard.</p>
<p>Let’s jump in by learning how to do the drinking bird with great form:</p>
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<h2>Instructions</h2>
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<li>Stand up with your feet facing forward,parallel to one another, and with your legs about hip width apart. Plant your heels and the balls of your feet, then squeeze, really gripping the floor with your toes.</li>
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<li>Soften your knees by bending them slightly. </li>
<li>Lift your arms up and clasp your hands behind your head.</li>
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<li>Hinge at the hips and bend your torso forward, pushing your weight into your heels and pressing your butt backwards.</li>
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<li>Once you’ve brought your upper body down as far as you can while maintaining a straight spine, press your torso back up to return to the starting position.</li>
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<li>Repeat this movement until you’ve reached the desired number of repetitions.</li>
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<h2>Things to keep in mind</h2>
<ul>
<li>While you’re performing the exercise, focus on keeping about 70% of your weight in your heels and 30% on the balls of your feet and toes.</li>
<li>When you place your hands behind your head, make sure that you’re not too relaxed and that your shoulders aren’t shrugged. Stand upright and try to think about pulling your elbows back so you can feel your upper back and rear deltoids activate.</li>
<li>Make sure your knees track straight over your toes during the exercise and don’t wobble too far in or out.</li>
<li>Try not to relax when you reach the bottom of the movement. Instead focus on keeping your spine extended throughout the duration of the exercise. It helps to think about pressing your neck into your hands, pushing your elbows back almost as though you’re trying to touch them, and keeping those shoulders nice and relaxed.</li>
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<li>Inhale when you reach the bottom of the movement and exhale when you return to the starting position.</li>
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<section id="section3">
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>The drinking bird is a great exercise, in and of itself, as well as a solid step that will get you on your way to performing single-leg movements with ease. Perform the drinking bird exactly as we’ve detailed here to make sure you’re getting the absolute most out of this exercise during your workout.</p>
<p>Again, if you feel that this exercise is too difficult for you at the moment, start by placing your hands on your hips rather than behind your head. You can always work your way up to the original version, but in the beginning focus on getting your feet gripping the ground hard, your spine extended, and your form perfect.</p>
<p>When you’ve got the drinking bird down, you can try out high knees, an exercise that will have you kicking your knees up towards your chest, building up strength and balance,while also getting your heart and lungs pumping.</p>
<p>Finally, you’ll be ready to move onto the alternating one leg drinking bird where you’ll alternate lifting one leg behind you as you dip your torso towards the ground. This move is going to give you all the incredible benefits of a single-leg exercise— improving balance, maintaining equal strength on both sides of your body, and increasing core stability— in one simple move.</p>
<p>Now that you’ve learned the best way to perform the drinking bird, try incorporating a few sets of this awesome move into your next workout!</p>
<p>If this exercise is too easy, try <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/perfect-form-high-knees/">High Knees</a>.</p>
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