Crawling is not what usually comes to mind when you’re planning your next workout. Quadrupedal movements are, as a whole, overlooked by adults (except for those amazing Parkour athletes! Crawling is a fundamental skill needed for parkour). But crawling exercises are great! They are multi-joint movements that engage the entire body, working the core especially hard. Crawling trains your balance, coordination, strength, and agility.

Here are some crawling exercises that will challenge and train your muscles in novel ways. They are harder than they look, so give them a try!

Five Crawling Exercises to Improve Your Fitness:

1) Bear Crawl:

• Begin on your hands and knees
• Lift your knees off the ground, balancing on your toes and keeping your hips low
• Move one hand and the opposite knee forward simultaneously to pedal yourself forward

2) Crab Walk:

• Sit with your legs bent and slightly spread, feet on the ground. Place your hands on the ground behind you, fingertips facing forward
• Lift your hips & butt off the ground, holding yourself up on your hands and feet
• Pedal yourself forward, backward, and/or side to side

3) Spiderman Crawl:

• Begin in a full (not elbow) plank position
• Move one knee forward and to the outside of the elbow, shifting your weight forward while staying very low to the ground
• Continue pulling yourself forward, aiming to place your forward foot right by your hands

4) Army Crawl:

• Begin in an elbow plank position
• Pull yourself forward across the ground on your forearms, keeping the rest of your body in a strong plank
• Your legs and feet do not move or assist in the forward motion

5) Inchworm:

• Begin standing, then bend forward and place your hands on the ground, as close to your toes as possible
• Walk your hands forward, leaving your feet where they are, until you are in a plank with your arms extended forward as far as possible
• Next, walk your feet in to your hands, leaving your hands where they are, until you end in a forward bend again

Happy Crawling!

-Cody