Try this: Bear crawl
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
The bear crawl is a body-weight exercise where you move along the ground using only your hands and feet, mimicking a bear. It helps to improve mobility, coordination, and balance by engaging multiple muscles at once, including those in the shoulders, back, chest, hips, and legs. The move may look and feel awkward at first, but with practice, it’s easy to do.
1. Begin on hands and knees in a tabletop position with your shoulders aligned over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
2. Lift your knees off the floor, keeping your back flat.
3. Keeping your body low and stable (try not to raise your hips too high), move your right hand and left foot forward a small, equal distance.
4. Repeat the movement with your left hand and right foot, continuing forward. Focus on maintaining a flat back and a neutral spine, looking down at the ground slightly in front of your fingertips.
Crawl for a set time, such as 30 seconds to one minute, or a specific distance. Rest and repeat up to three times. For a challenge, crawl forward and then backward.
If you’re not ready for the full bear crawl, you can do a variation without the forward movement. Begin in the usual tabletop position and lift both knees off the ground. Then raise your right leg and left hand, pause, and lower, keeping the right knee off the floor. Repeat with the left leg and right hand. Continue going back and forth, keeping both knees elevated, for 30 seconds to a minute.
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About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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