Category Archives: strength training

Target your glutes like a pro

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The single leg squat is one of the best exercises to target the gluteals

For anatomy lovers:

The gluteal muscles are large, powerful muscles that cross the hip joint and play a critical role in nearly all lower-body movement. The gluteus maximus is the largest of these muscles and is responsible for extending and laterally rotating the hip joint, enabling movements like standing up, climbing and running.

The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus sit on the side and back of the hips and function primarily as hip abductors. These muscles are essential for stabilizing the pelvis, particularly during single-leg activities such as walking or running.

Gluteal strength is crucial for efficient movement, especially in the gait cycle. Strong glutes help carry the weight of the leg during swing phases and contribute to balance and propulsion. Increasing gluteal strength can lead to:

  • Improved running speed
  • Reduced knee pain
  • Decreased risk of hip osteoarthritis
  • Enhanced pelvic stability during movement

Weak gluteal muscles can lead to improper alignment, such as the knee collapsing inward (valgus), which places undue stress on the joint and increases injury risk.

A practical example of glute strength in action is something as routine as getting out of a car. In this movement, the gluteus maximus works to stabilize the knee and extend the hips, helping you rise from a seated position smoothly and safely.

When selecting the most effective exercises to target the gluteal muscles, it’s important to choose movements that provide sufficient stimulus and mechanical tension. These are key factors in promoting muscle strength and hypertrophy.

A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise evaluated eight commonly used hip-focused exercises aimed at strengthening the glutes, whether for injury prevention or rehabilitation purposes. The researchers examined several variables related to muscle function, including:

  • Muscle force
  • Fiber length
  • Fiber velocity
  • Muscle activation

And the winners are :

By analyzing these elements, the study was able to rank the exercises based on how effectively they engaged the gluteal muscles. This type of research helps inform smarter exercise selection—ensuring you’re not just working hard, but working effectively.

The exercises were single-leg squat, split squat, single-leg Romanian deadlift, single-leg hip thrust, banded side step, hip hike, side plank and side-lying leg raise. A 12-repetition intensity was selected as it is based on a typical training range used in rehab and injury prevention programs.

Research shows that the split squat, single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) and single-leg hip thrust produce the highest gluteal muscle forces, making them top-tier choices for overall glute development.

When it comes to targeting the gluteus medius and minimus—key muscles for hip stability—the side plank and single-leg RDL come out on top.

As expected, weighted variations of these exercises are significantly more effective than bodyweight alone.

Takeaway: Now you’ve got the tools to train smarter—hit those glutes with purpose and specificity!

As seen in The Idaho Mountain Express May 4, 2025 https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-target-your-glutes-like-a-pro/article_367a235a-4a2b-4956-8847-2e7c0448ea7f.html

Fitness Guru: 6 key daily exercises for core and flexibility

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  • By CONNIE ARONSON #fitnessguru

Daily habits can be powerful. Routine builds structure, helps us stay on track and use our time wisely. Adding a simple mini exercise program to your day is one way to succeed. For many of us, we’re missing some key exercises that can keep us flexible, injury-free and improve function. Here are six top core and flexibility exercises that will enhance your athletic performance. Whether you are a seasoned athlete, or simply just enjoy being active and don’t want to get injured, incorporate these moves into your day.

Activate the core: Heel-on-toe crunch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
The heel-on-toe crunch targets the abdominals while limiting spine movement.
Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

The core muscles help stabilize the spine and support movement. The following two core exercises build muscular fitness, have minimal movement, and are far more effective than a standard sit-up. To a viewer, it might not look like you’re doing much of anything, writes Stuart McGill in his book, “Back Mechanic,†but with proper technique, you should feel like you’re working.

  • Begin with your legs straight, left heel on top of right foot.
  • Bring your left hand behind your head for support, and lift your right arm straight up from your shoulder.
  • Curl up, raising your head, neck and shoulder blades off the mat, tightening your abdominals.
  • Hold for 10 seconds.
  • Slowly return to the start position. Six reps.

Side-lying hip lift

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Side-lying hip lift. If you have a sensitive spine, bring the top foot ahead of the bottom foot.
Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson
  • To regress the move, lift from bent knees.
  • Lying on your right side with your top leg stacked, place your right elbow under your right shoulder.
  • Exhale and lift your right hip off the floor.
  • Hold for 10 counts.
  • Slowly lower to start. 6-8 reps. Switch sides.

Wall hamstring stretch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Wall hamstring Stretch. Slide the hips further down the wall for a greater range of motion.
You can increase the stretch, and involve more gastrocnemius, by taking the outside leg across the body.

The wall hamstring stretch is an effective way to stretch your hamstrings. The stability of the wall and prone position help you relax deeper into the stretch, and you can easily adjust the intensity by moving your hips further or closer to the wall. Tight hamstrings may be a sign of imbalances, such as an anterior pelvic tilt or tracking problems of the knee. The hamstrings start at the sit bones and attach on either side of the lower leg. The muscles act as guide ropes on the legs as the foot rolls inward or outward (pronation and supination).

  • Lie on the floor with the stretching leg on the corner of a wall or doorframe, with the other leg flat on the floor, heeled flexed.
  • Use a pillow for your neck if needed.
  • Move the hips closer or further from the wall to adjust the intensity.
  • Keep the bottom leg straight. If you can’t, bend the bottom knee.
  • Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat two to three cycles on each leg. Tip: Squeezing the quads will increase the stretch.

Foam roller alignment

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Reset your alignment every day by lying on a foam roller.

Lying lengthwise on a foam roller not only feels good but encourages good spinal length. If you’re hunched over with age, or are guilty of bending forward while scrolling on your phone, it can result in a “forward head.†For every inch that your head is forward, there’s 10 more pounds of pressure on the neck. Lengthening the lumbar erector spinal muscles helps encourage neutral alignment and good posture.

  • With your knees bent, lie on a roller, head supported and neck in a neutral position.
  • Tighten the abdominals.
  • Gently roll side to side for 20-30 seconds, two to three times.

Foam roller thoracic spine

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Foam roller thoracic spine Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

Using a foam roller on your thoracic spine helps upper back stiffness, as you can target the rhomboids and trapezius muscles. Rolling is a self-myofascial release technique that immediately relaxes sore spots and movement restrictions, allowing soft tissue and inflamed joints to rest and recover.

  • Place a foam roller under your shoulder blades or at bra height.
  • Support your head and tuck your chin.
  • Bend your knees, tilt the pelvis slightly and lift your hips and pelvis off the floor.
  • Gently roll on any tight or sore spots for 20-30 seconds.

Prayer stretch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Prayer stretch . Perform prayer stretch immediately after you’ve finished foam rolling any sore spots on the upper back. Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson
  • Kneel on the floor with your hands on a roller.
  • Slowly extend your arms forward, letting your chest move toward the floor.
  • Relax in the stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeat two to three times.
  • If you don’t have a roller, walk your hands forward, fully extending your arms, allowing your head to rest gently on the floor.

Check out https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-6-key-daily-exercises-for-core-and-flexibility/article_41acafc6-df2f-11ef-b349-9fac77851449.html

5 essential exercises you need

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Daily habits can be powerful. Routine anchors us and builds resilience and health. Adding a routine or mini-structure to your day so that fewer decisions need to be made is one way to succeed. When it comes to your health, preventing injuries in any activity you enjoy is crucial. Here are five injury-preventing exercises to put on your habit list that don’t take up too much time. Whether you are a seasoned athlete, or simply just enjoy being active but don’t want to get hurt, incorporate these moves into your day.

Activate the core: Heel on toe crunch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

A demonstration of the heel-on-toe crunch. Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

The core muscles help stabilize the spine and support movement. The following two core exercises have minimal movement, and are far more effective than a standard sit-up. The heel-on-toe crunch spares the back, while building muscular fitness. You begin the crunch by stiffening the abdominal muscles and slightly raising the head and shoulders off the ground. Count to 10, then lower back down to the starting position. To a viewer it might not look like you’re doing much of anything, says Stuart McGill, but with proper technique, you should feel like you’re working.

  • Begin with your legs straight, left heel on top of right foot.
  • Bring your left hand behind your head for support, and lift your right arm straight up from your shoulder.
  • Curl up, raising your head, neck and shoulder blades off mat, tightening your abdominals.
  • Slowly return to the start position. 10 reps. Switch sides.

Side lying hip lift

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.


A demonstration of the side-lying hip lift. Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

  • Lying on your right side with your knees bent (or straight for advanced variation), place your right elbow under your right shoulder. Push your shoulder away from your ear to engage the shoulder girdle.
  • Avoid letting your rib cage slump toward floor; maintain natural curve of spine.
  • Exhale and lift your right hip off floor. Hold for 10 counts.
  • Slowly lower to start. 6-8 reps. Switch sides.

Stretch tight hamstrings

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.


A demonstration of a hamstring stretch using a yoga strap.

Tightness in the back of your legs may be a sign of instability in your core, causing the leg muscles to overwork and shorten. As well, hamstrings are an important muscle to stretch if you have back pain, as they attach to the pelvis, which attaches to the back. An excellent stretch to ease the tension in the back of your legs is the hamstring stretch using a strap.

  • Lie on your back and place a yoga strap or rope under one foot, with the other leg straight, on the floor, heel flexed.
  • Slowly extend the leg toward straight.
  • If it is too difficult to completely straighten the leg, bend the opposite leg.

Foam roller alignment

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Screenshot

Lying lengthwise on a foam roller not only feels good but encourages good spinal length. We’re all guilty of bending forward while scrolling on our phones, resulting in a “forward head.†For every inch that your head is forward there’s 10 more pounds of pressure on the neck. Reset your alignment every day by lying on a foam roller. Lengthening the lumbar erector spinal muscles helps encourage neutral alignment and good posture.

  • With your knees bent, lie on a roller, head supported and neck in a neutral position.
  • Tighten the abdominals.
  • Gently roll side to side for 20-30 seconds.

The sock test

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A demonstration of the one-legged sock test.Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Losing your balance as you get older is no joke. Research has shown that the ability to stand on one foot drastically decreases after the age of 60, along with a rapid increase of falls and injury. The ability to stand on one leg is imperative for gait and function.

The sock test takes the exercise a step further. Practicing it is a fun challenge to build strength capacity and balance.

  • Holding a sock, stand on one leg, knee slightly bent.
  • Bring your right leg up toward you as you put your sock on
  • Lower the leg to the floor and repeat with your left foot.

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/5-essential-exercises-you-need/article_ddf5020a-75dc-11ef-b697-a329b921bf01.html#tncms-source=article-nav-next

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Can you stand on one leg? Amazingly, it can affect longevity

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If your core is strong, you typically have good balance. Standing on one leg engages the core, and that ability is an indicator of overall well-being.

One-leg balancing involves using all 29 muscles of the core, called the lumbo-pelvic hip complex. But did you know that standing on one leg for 10 seconds can predict longevity? A recent study shows that the link between balance and longevity is an indicator of survival among middle-aged and older adults. Those that couldn’t do this simple task faced a higher mortality risk over seven years, emphasizing the critical role of balance for our health as we age.

Losing your balance as you get older is no joke. Research has shown that the ability to stand on one foot drastically decreases after the age of 60, along with a rapid increase of falls and injury. The ability to stand on one leg is imperative for gait and function.

Practicing the single-leg balance also improves your proprioception, or your body’s awareness of its position in space. Many daily movements involve being on one foot, even briefly, such as climbing stairs, putting pants on and stepping into a tub. Having better balance means daily activities that require coordination don’t have to result in falls or missteps.

You might think standing on one leg is a simple movement, but the ankles, lower leg, thighs, hips and core work together to make it happen. Try the following moves to test your skills!

Single-leg balance

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Single leg balance
Photo by Connie Aronson
  • Stand tall with your shoulders retracted. Feet are parallel and pointing forward. Hands are on the hips.
  • Brace the core, and flex the hips and knees slightly.
  • Lift one foot off the floor, keeping the toe of the raised foot pointed upward (dorsiflexed) and shift the center of your weight over the foot on the ground.
  • Maintain the slightly squat position for 10 seconds.
  • Return to the start; repeat on the opposite leg.
  • Tip: Keep the chin pushed back, with the head tilted neither forward or backward.

There are countless exercises to train balance. The following variation targets the gluteals and is a total body movement.

Single-leg balance and reach

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Efficient movement requires appropriate levels of stability (standing on one leg), while simultaneously having appropriate levels of mobility (extending your leg outward). During this move you have to engage the stabilizers for good postural control as you move your leg. Because it is multiplanar (dynamic planes of motion), it correlates to movements in sports and daily activities.

  • Begin in a three-quarter squat, single-leg position as described for single-leg balance.
  • Maintaining balance, reach forward with the up leg and tap the floor with that foot.
  • Return back to neutral position.
  • Maintaining balance, reach out laterally with the same foot as far as possible, without compromising form. Tap the floor.
  • Return back to the start position.
  • Lastly, open your hip and reach to the side and behind you. Tap the floor and return to the starting position.
  • Continue with the same leg for four repetitions.
  • Repeat on the opposite leg.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Single leg balance on an unstable surface ( BOSU )

*Tip-try to keep the flat side of the BOSU level. This means that your weight is distributed throughout your whole foot

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/can-you-stand-on-one-leg-amazingly-it-can-affect-longevity/article_e1ed9822-083b-11ef-a7f2-278d85a49540.html

Do it right: How to stretch the external rotators of the hip

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Hips move, as they are mobile joints just as your neck, shoulders and ankles are. All muscle helps us move and maintain our posture, especially the hip complex.

For many of us, we don’t stretch them enough and end up with tight hips, specifically the external rotators. If you do stretch regularly, you know that Pigeon Pose is an excellent hip and buttock stretch that can help you restore movement to these areas. But it can hurt sensitive knees, or be impeded by a current injury, as it requires the shinbone to be at a 45 degree angle beneath the front hipbone.

Hips need both good mobility and strength in every activity from walking to skiing. The main job of the external rotators of the hips is to stabilize the pelvis during the swing phase of walking. For example, when you step out on your right foot, as you transfer the weight into that foot, there is a moment in which you are standing on one leg.

As your foot and leg absorb your body weight, the hip internally rotates as you step. At the same time, the external rotators of the right hip tighten to keep the pelvis level to the ground as you swing your left foot through to step on it. This action slows down the knee as it moves toward the midline of the body, so your knees don’t collapse inward.

Good hip mobility and strength allow you to have better biomechanics from the hip down to the foot. Tight or weak hips affect not only a normal gait, but every activity that you enjoy doing.

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Pigeon Pose

When your hips are too tight, you may feel crooked, sore, or admit to yourself that you really need to do some yoga. When your hips aren’t tight—particularly the posterior muscles of the rear—walking, getting out of the car, climbing stairs, or skiing can feel effortless.

Here are two variations to Pigeon Pose that you might like to add to your daily stretching routine.

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

1. Figure 4 stretch using the wall

Figure 4 is an excellent stretch for the external and internal hip rotators, including the piriformis and glutes.

Tip: The piriformis is one of the six external rotators of the hip. (The sciatic nerve runs over, under or through the piriformis muscle and can be responsible for sciatica pain.)

Lie on the floor, place your left foot on a wall, and place your right ankle over your left knee.

Let the right side of your pelvis drop away from your right shoulder until your pelvis becomes level.

Hold the stretch to release your hip rotators.

Stretch each side for 20-30 seconds, at least once a day.

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

2. Figure 4 stretch using a physio ball

  • all photos by Connie Aronson

Instructions are the same as the above stretch, ( stretch 1 ) except that you place one foot on a physio ball.

Using a physio ball allows you to create a deeper stretch by gently rolling the ball toward you with the foot that is placed on the ball.

As seen in The Idaho Mountain Express March 24, 2024

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/do-it-right-how-to-stretch-the-external-rotators-of-the-hip/article_96d925c4-dc97-11ee-9afc-cb569b10a505.html

Fitness Guru-How to find tight neck and shoulder relief

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If your neck and shoulders are chronically tight, not only does it feel bad, but neck and shoulder limitations affect the biomechanics of your body.

Conversely, when you have balance and alignment in everyday life, you establish a great starting point for exercise. Rolling on balls has become an increasingly popular way to target areas of your body that are restricted and tight. Ball exercises can target areas in the neck and upper back that are otherwise not easily accessible. Using a ball specifically for these troublesome areas allows you to hit tender points and virtually melt them out of your body.

If you consider that your head weighs anywhere between 9 and 12 pounds, a forward position of the head can wreck havoc on your neck and shoulders. Consider that the weight of the head effectively doubles for every inch forward of its optimal alignment. Not only does this create neck and shoulder tension, but the position of the head and neck affects the alignment of the whole body.

Furthermore, internally-rotated arms, caused by rounded posture—a result of looking at a computer screen throughout the day—or elevated shoulders, increase the likelihood of upper back discomfort. Rolling a tennis ball along the neck and shoulders penetrates deep into the musculature, helps pull your head back into neutral and gives you gentle extension in your upper back.

Another benefit of ball rolling on your upper back is that you are creating a ball bearing between your body and the floor. This allows more extensive movement on the floor, so that your upper back will feel more spread out and relaxed.

Tennis ball on the shoulder blade

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Tennis ball on top of the shoulder blade

Rejuvenate and mobilize the upper back and shoulder blades with tennis ball rolling. This exercise targets the muscles in the upper back that have become chronically lengthened by internally-rotated arms: the infraspinatus and teres minor and the trapezius muscles.

Lie on your back and place a tennis ball on top of your shoulder blade. Use a pillow under your neck for proper head alignment.

Hug the opposite shoulder in order to increase pressure on the ball.

Push with your feet to move the ball, finding a tender spot. Try to relax while breathing normally. Hold for 20-30 seconds.

Gently move your body up, down and sideways to find additional sore spots.

Tennis ball on the back of the neck

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
The “Tennis ball on the back of the neck” exercise can ne used to target specific tight or sore spots.

This exercise helps regenerate the tissues of the neck—so that the neck can flex more easily—and allows the head to move back into better alignment.

Lie on your back and place a tennis ball under your neck. Use a pillow or towels to support your head.

Apply pressure for 20-30 seconds at each sore spot, for a total of 2-3 minutes.

Next, perform the following stretch:

Back of neck stretch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Neck stretching can help provide relief from tension and pain.

The muscles of the neck have a natural curve to help maintain stability and maintain alignment over the body. When this curve is overstretched or exaggerated in any way, it can become quite uncomfortable. This stretch helps release tightness in the neck.

Place your hands on top of your head, keep your elbows together, and pull your shoulders down using your mid-back muscles.

Pull your chin to your chest to feel the stretch in the back of your neck and shoulders.

Hold for 20 seconds, and repeat the cycle three times.

Published in the Idaho Mountain Express Jan.5, 2024.

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-how-to-find-tight-neck-and-shoulder-relief/article_07ce84f8-ab2a-11ee-a9ff-a7fbfeece97e.html

Think twice about skipping the gym

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A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

For muscles to grow and change, the stimulus must be great enough to allow the muscles to grow back stronger than before. Muscle growth happens whenever the rate of protein synthesis is greater than the rate of muscle protein breakdown. Resistance training can profoundly stimulate muscle cell hypertrophy and, as a result, gain strength.

Just a single bout of exercise stimulates protein synthesis within 2-4 hours after a workout and may remain elevated for up to 24 hours.

There’s no exact measurement as to how much muscle you can build in a month, but it’s typically between one-half to two pounds of muscle. Overall, the timeframe generally takes several weeks or months to be apparent. Greater changes in muscle mass will happen in individuals with more muscle mass at the start of a come back. Other variables, such as volume, training intensity, genetic factors, rest, hormone levels and diet, all affect muscle gain outcomes.

Commonly our muscle mass and strength increases steadily and reaches its peak at around 30-35 years of age. After age 40, men lose as much as 3-5 percent of their muscle mass per decade. And, unfortunately, studies from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging found that muscle power declines faster after age 65 for women, and 70 for men. We really can’t “stop the clock.†So, it’s important that we push our muscles as we age. Dr. Len Kravitz, program coordinator of exercise science at the University of New Mexico, happily shares that the ravages of time on muscles have been shown to be restrained or even reversed with regular resistance training.

Of course, life and unwanted stuff happens, and it’s quite all right to take two or three weeks off. Sometimes you just need rest and recovery. Yes, your ability to generate force in the muscles does take a hit. You might notice that the 10 body-weight squats you once did with ease now have you huffing and puffing. Thanks partly to muscle memory, you can get back lost muscle quicker than you thought, reverse muscle loss, and continue to progress.

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-think-twice-about-skipping-the-gym/article_baa3bce2-79c5-11ee-9c1f-6b985a4275e7.html

Learn Hip Airplane for strong hips and stability

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If you’re trying to get the most out of your leg program, you might want to try an exercise called Hip Airplane. I know a lot of us use squats and lunges to stay strong for strength in the sports we enjoy. With ski season right around the corner, you’ll need good hip function. Good hip function keeps you symmetrical on skis, or in a squat, minimizes any hip shifting, and helps mobility. The Airplane is an exercise that targets the posterior hip muscles, the Gluteus Medius and Maximus. Strengthening these muscles is important, as your glutes are key lateral stabilizing muscles of the hip and legs, including the hamstrings.

Along with teaching you good pelvic control, which can eliminate back pain, or excessive motion in your back (not good) the Airplane also targets six muscles in the deep gluteal region known as external rotators of the hip joint. Yes, squats and lunges are fundamental strengthening exercises. Your glutes have to work hard when you lift yourself out of the bottom of a squat. But squats are typically performed in a one plane of motion-up and down. Very few exercises work on the rotational aspect of a move. The Airplane does just that: it helps improve your mobility, especially if you are tighter on one side. For skiers who feel like they are tighter turning one way than the other, this can be a helpful pre-season exercise.

Airplane is also a terrific neuromotor exercise. Performing it throughout the season can improve your motor skills, such as balance, coordination, agility, gait and proprioception. The advantage of practicing most single leg exercise is that any neuromotor exercise helps solidify a connection between the nervous and muscular systems.

Hip Airplane:

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
To begin, ground one foot into the floor.

1. Place your hands on your hips. Ground one foot into the floor, hinge from your hips, and lift the opposite leg back.

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Hinge from your hips, and lift the opposite leg back. Hold 5 seconds.

2. Open the hip about 2 inches, or as far as you can, squeezing the glute. Hold 5 seconds.

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Tip- Steer the hip inward around the pelvis.

3. Drop the hip inward: you’ll feel a good stretch. Hold 5 seconds.4. Return to start.

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Keep pressing into the stance foot, and fully extend your back leg, squeezing the gluteals.

5. To make it easier : Hold onto a bar or wall for support. You can also use your arms for balance.

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-learn-hip-airplane-for-strong-hips-and-stability/article_420951ca-62f5-11ee-b984-5fd4ce48995e.html

 Improve your motor skills with crawling and bird dogs

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Watch children play outside on a lawn and you can be sure they are crawling, rolling or somersaulting. From the time we kick and crawl as infants, our motor skills continue to evolve, leading to higher physical activity over a life span. There’s a new trend in fitness programs that focuses on ground-based fundamental or “primal†movements, like crawling. Some of these programs, like Animal Flow, are exercises performed in the quadruped position, linked together in continuous sequences called flows.

If you enjoy yoga flow, Animal Flow is quite similar, though not necessary performed completely on the hands and feet, in a quadruped stance. The later promotes reconnecting with your body’s natural movement abilities, or “primitive movement patterns,†ones of our four-egged friends, to improve function of the “human animal.†Studies show that an eight-week, twice-per-week Animal Flow program, in addition to regular exercise, increased trunk stability scores, range of motion and motor competence.

Crawling lights up your muscles

If we take away the 100-mile-an-hour lawn crawl that children love to show-off, the crawl itself is a body weight exercise that improves motor control mechanisms for better balance and coordination. Adam Eckhart, assistant professor at Kean University has studied how when we are upright, either walking or running, built in motor programs generated in the spinal cord play an important role in the rhythmic coupling of our arms and legs. When you step over an obstacle, he says, the central pattern generators adapt the timing and counterbalancing limb movements to adapt to changes in stability.

Studies show that patients with Parkinson’s disease have higher sensory signals in the arms when anticipating a step obstacle, concluding that a robust arm-leg coupling awareness is very helpful. Stroke patients conversely, rely on the same motor muscle activity in their arms to counterbalance difficulty lifting a leg over a step obstacle.

Compared to walking, hand-foot crawling lights all your muscles up, especially with added speed. Loads on the shoulders, triceps, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves change, depending on the whether the hips are high or low.

Four-point kneeling dogs

If animal flow feels too intimidating, another quadruped exercise called Bird Dog, (with variations) is an important go-to. Evidence shows that these simple but important exercises aid in balance and coordination when we’re upright, on two legs. Bird Dog, (also known as the quadruped limb lift) is one of the most important exercises used in low-back stabilization programs as it targets the back as well as the hip extensors. It also teaches the discipline of using proper hip and shoulder motion while maintaining a stable spine, says Stuart McGill.

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Forward crawling. Photos by Connie Aronson
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Knees elevated with one arm lifted.
Knees elevated with one arm fully extended. Photo by Connie Aronson
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Bird dog. Photo by Connie Aronson
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Arms on foam pad, knee elevated, leg extended. Photo by Connie Aronson
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Bird Dog starts in a four-point kneeling position, with a contralateral arm and leg lift. The act of raising opposing limbs changes the types of stress on the body and impels the body in the redistribution of forces in an unfamiliar way, forcing the body to adapt. By alternating the base of support, such as using an unstable upper body support, like a foam pad, research shows that you’ll improve total body joint stability, joint proprioception, and range of motion.

The goal of any fitness program is to train your body for the sports and activities you enjoy and to prevent injury. Overall, quadruped movements are simple, fun, and important fundamental movement patterns.

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-improve-your-motor-skills-with-crawling-and-bird-dogs/article_203fff00-3701-11ee-b736-4f7a28cdca1b.html