Brian Jeffrey
When it comes to getting a great workout, look no further than your animal friends. By simply copying their movements—from jumping like a frog to crawling like a bear—you’re able to tone nearly every muscle in your body, not to mention have a little fun with animal walk exercises.
Whether you want to channel your inner inchworm or turtle, all of these animal walks exercises are tough—and you can try each of them right now, from the easiest to the hardest.
The 10 best animal walks exercises, ranked from easiest to hardest
1. Horse walks
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RyBoBblyZo]
If you want to improve the flexibility and mobility through your inner thighs and hips, trainer Nicole Alicastro told 5th Element Wellness that horse walks are the way to go.
2. Crab walks
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RNX7_M76FU]
You probably remember doing crab walks as a kid, and they can still give you a great workout as an adult. With the right form and some speed, you’ll really light up your arms and core.
3. Inchworm
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HFXsIMKqUg]
Sometimes the inchworm is done stationary, and sometimes it has you moving across the room. In this case, you’re walking your hands out to a plank, doing a push-up, then walking your feet to your hands in true inchworm-fashion.
4. Frog jumps
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYtveNdgEQ]
Instead of jumping straight up and down like you would in a typical squat jump, frog jumps have you propelling yourself across the room.
5. Bear crawl
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6muIdIDEE2E]
Despite having a cutesy name, bear crawls have a serious bite. They “engage almost every muscle in your body and specifically focus on your quads, legs, chest, shoulders, and core,” says Reid Eichelberger, head trainer at EverybodyFights in Philadelphia. It also works you mentally, as it requires a lot of coordination.
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6. Turtle walk
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7V4dGi3rkA?start=151]
You’ll have a new appreciation for turtles after doing this exercise that involves walking across the room with straight arms and slightly-bent legs. And just think—you don’t even have to do it with a huge, heavy shell on your back.
7. Chameleon walk
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP6yTBNOlfo]
Out of all these animal-inspired walks, this one will have you feeling the silliest. You’re not just walking like a chameleon in a plank position, but you’re also moving slowly and mimicking a chameleon’s jagged movements.
8. Alligator crawl
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8tT5r2jscg]
Props to alligators, because the way they crawl is tough. The alligator crawl exercise is essentially a moving plank, push-up, and crawl, all in one. To make things harder, you can also crawl on your fists instead of your palms.
9. Monkey shuffle
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0wtboJdc-g]
Okay, so just a warning: Dr. Ben Kim, whose shown in the video above, makes this exercise look effortless. Trying it yourself, on the other hand, can be a very humbling surprise. You’re essentially shuffling back and forth across the room, using your upper body strength to support your lower body as it moves through the air.
10. Dragon walk
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9QMwxysHoo]
The dragon walk is so hard that, by the time you’re done, you might be breathing fire. “It’s an excellent core exercise, but it incorporates so many muscle groups that it feels like you’re working the entire body,” says Tee Major, trainer and author of Urban Calisthenics.
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Written by: WellGood
