Bear crawl for weight loss: Benefits and steps | XpertsReviews.com

Crawling is a big part of our growth, from babies to adults. This also applies to animals, as they use all four limbs to move. As you grow up, crawling also becomes part of the fitness world. It is popular as quadruped movement training, which refers to bodyweight exercises in which people adopt a four-point quadruped stance. The Bear Crawl is an exercise that involves crawling on all fours. You use your hands and feet, and walk like a bear to reap its many benefits, including weight loss. Let us tell you how to do the Bear Crawl to lose weight and get more health benefits!

What is the Bear Crawl?

The Bear Crawl is a full-body exercise in which you imitate the movement of a bear walking on all fours. This is done by moving the hands and feet forward or backward with the knees slightly off the ground, engaging multiple muscle groups, shares fitness expert Chitharesh Natesan.

The Bear Crawl exercise uses several parts of your body:

• Shoulders: Support the weight of your body.
• Chest: Helps maintain balance.
• Core: Stabilize your body.
• Back: Support movement and posture.
• Glutes: Helps with stability and propulsion.
• Legs: Particularly the quadriceps and hamstrings, which are used when you move.

How Does Bear Crawl Help Lose Weight?

Bear Crawls is a high-intensity full-body workout that can help burn a significant number of calories. They increase your heart rate, boost your metabolism, and engage multiple muscle groups, which improves overall calorie burning, says Natesan. This combination makes it effective for weight loss because it increases total energy expenditure.

The number of calories burned during a bear crawl varies depending on factors such as body weight, intensity and duration. On average, you can burn around 8 to 12 calories per minute. A 150-pound person can burn about 100 to 150 calories in a 15-minute session, the expert says.

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What are the health benefits of Bear Crawl?

Besides losing weight, the Bear Crawl is also a good way to strengthen the shoulders and hips. Participants who completed one hour of quadruped movement training per week for 16 weeks saw a significant increase in the mobility of their shoulders and hips, according to a 2022 study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Here are its main health benefits:

• Strengthens your core muscles, which helps improve stability and balance.
• Increases heart rate and improves cardiovascular endurance.
• Improves coordination and joint mobility.

How to do the Bear Crawl?

To complete the exploration exercise, follow these steps:

• Get on all fours, but make sure your hands go directly under your shoulders. Your knees should be under your hips.
• Raise your knees a few inches off the floor, balancing on your hands and toes.
• Step forward with your right hand and left foot simultaneously, then your left hand and right foot.
• Keep your back flat, core engaged, and hips low throughout the movement.
• Continue moving forward, keeping your movements slow and controlled.

Mistakes to avoid

When doing the Bear Crawl, avoid these common mistakes:

• Raising your hips too high: Keep your hips low and in line with your shoulders to maintain good form.
• Non-binding core: Make sure your core is engaged to avoid strain in your lower back.
• Rushed movements: Avoid rushing; controlled movements are essential to maximize the benefits of exercise.
• Incorrect hand placement: Place your hands directly under your shoulders for stability and balance.
• Neglecting breathing: Remember to breathe regularly to maintain endurance and oxygen flow.

Incorporating bear crawls into your workout routine can significantly improve your fitness and help you lose weight, as long as you perform them correctly and regularly.