Crawling has been a physical therapy tool, but now it’s being used for strengthening and fitness.
It requires motor skills and involves the vestibular system which is associated with balance and spatial orientation.
Professionals tout crawling helps your body regain the strength, mobility and stability you may have had in your younger years.
Crawling on all fours activates your abdominal muscles. You have to engage your back and other core muscles to maintain your position and move forward.
It sounds easy, but if you’re out of shape, you can become winded fast. I’d recommend intervals so you can be mindful and concentrate on your form.
Whether or not you want to give crawling a try, know that regular exercise can help you feel better and live longer.
For those just starting out, here are my prescriptions:
- Warm up your body and cool it down when exercising. All you need is five to 10 minutes for each.
- Don’t train too hard or too often. This can cause overuse injuries like stress fractures, sore joints and muscles, or inflamed tendons.
- Listen to your body. If you feel faint while working out or suffer persistent aches and pains in joints, then cut back on how much or how often you exercise.
- Avoid the new fad of crawling if you suffer with knee pain, have wrist, shoulder or neck issues. Crawling on your hands and knees can be rough on these body parts.
Question: If our viewers want to give crawling a try, is it just like mimicking a baby?
Very similar except you have to lift your knees about 2 inches off the ground before moving forward. Make sure you have good posture with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. And keep your head up, your back flat and straight.
Start off slowly with short distances and gently build your stamina up.
