On the wild side
Let animal movement inspire your next workout
Lately, my workouts have looked a bit odd: I've been slithering like a lizard, crawling like a bear and scuttling like a crab. It's called quadrupedal movement training (or animal movement), and it's taken over TikTok (the related hashtag, #primalmovement, has 2.4 billion views).
At first glance, the workouts seem a little goofy — more like an audition for Gollum in “Lord of the Rings” than a workout. But are they effective?
Proponents say the exercise targets muscles often neglected by other workouts, and that moving your arms and legs diagonally across the body (rather than, say, running, where they just move in line forward and back) is important for building resilient joints and body awareness.
To put animal movement to the test, I gathered some common exercises and tried them four times a week, for a month. Here's what I learned. How it works and feels There is a lot of overlap between animal movement and more established practices like yoga, Pilates and dance, which aim to improve balance and core strength, as well as increase joint mobility and stability, said Dr. Sachin Allahabadi, an orthopedic surgeon in Houston, who sometimes warms up with “bear crawls” before HIIT sessions.
But research specific to animal movement is still limited. One small study found it burns about the same number of calories as a similar duration of other moderate aerobic exercise, such as a game of doubles tennis. Another suggests that it improves coordination and hip and shoulder flexibility, which is especially important as we age.
Initially, I found that the workouts were awkward and demanded intense focus:
What was my right hand doing, and where was my left foot? But after a few weeks, they began to feel familiar, almost like dancing. It also made me move in ways that I rarely had, even in a yoga class, challenging my shoulders and arms. And while a 30-minute session doesn't pack the punch of a 10K run, I was definitely panting as if I had hiked a series of hills.
But it's not a panacea: It can get repetitive, and to retain (or build) muscle mass, you need to add resistance training. Also, it's hard to do while watching Netflix.
Going forward, I'll use animal movement to break up long stretches at my desk, the way Jeffrey Buxton, an exercise scientist at Grove City College, does. Or I'll sprinkle it into circuit-training workouts — a round of crab walks to replace jumping jacks, for example. “It's an accessible exercise and checks a lot of boxes,” Buxton said.
There is a lot of overlap between animal movement and more established practices like yoga, Pilates and dance, which aim to improve balance and core strength, as well as increase joint mobility and stability.
How to move safely
Similar to other bodyweight programs such as calisthenics and yoga, the risk of injury with animal movement is low compared to using free weights, said Jon Ide-Don, a physical therapist with Hinge Health, a virtual clinic for muscle and joint pain. However, you should “be cautious with really fast or dynamic movements, which put more force through your joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons,” he said.
The wrists and shoulders, in particular, aren't used to bearing much weight. To prevent injuries such as tendinitis, rotator cuff problems or labral tears, start slow. Take a day or two off between sessions, suggested Ben Geletka, a physical therapist at University Hospitals in Cleveland.
I did not follow this advice and paid a price. A few weeks into my own routine, I woke up with pain in my left shoulder and a soft click whenever I rotated my arm. After three days of rest, I returned — slowly — to a light workout.
Although beginners to animal movement could benefit from an initial session with a trainer from one of the programs (such as Animal Flow, Primal Play or GMB Elements), videos of the movements are also available online. Here are some exercises, based on the Animal Flow method, to get you started.
Starting
It's important to first warm up the wrists, hips and shoulders because we typically don't move these very much, said Holly Roser, a personal trainer in San Francisco who includes animal movements in some of her classes.
• WRIST ROLLS >> Clasp your hands together, palms facing, and roll your wrists in a circle, clockwise for 30 seconds, then counterclockwise for 30 seconds.
• HIP ABDUCTIONS >> In a standing position, with the toes on your right foot pointed up, lift your right leg to the side 30 times. Repeat with your left • SHOULDER-ARM CIRCLES >> With both arms raised out to the side and parallel with the floor, make small, forward circles 30 times. Reverse direction for another 30 circles.
The exercises
The easiest way to begin animal movement is to get into the starting position of each move and hold it, as you would a plank or yoga pose. Engage your core by “drawing in your navel like you're bracing yourself when someone's going to punch you in the stomach,” Roser said. Next, try lifting a foot or a hand an inch off the ground while maintaining the pose. Once you can hold a pose comfortably for 30 seconds, you're ready to move.
Start out with positions where your body is stacked over itself, like a tower of blocks, Allahabadi said. “If you're balancing on your hand, for example, the wrist, elbow and shoulder are all in the same line.”
As your strength and stability increase, move to exercises where your hands and feet are farther from your center — such as the crocodile crawl, Buxton said.
Animal movements
Start with three sets of 10-second stints, with up to a minute's rest in between each. Gradually increase to 30-second or even one-minute stints, punctuated by 30-second breaks. Cycle through the six exercises below or pick and choose your favorites.