Published: 25 May 2021
Last updated: 5 September 2026

WHAT IS THE BEAR CRAWL EXERCISE?

The Bear Crawl is a full-body quadrupedal movement performed on your hands and feet, with your knees held above the ground. Move the opposite hand and foot together while keeping your trunk controlled.

The exercise challenges whole-body strength, coordination, shoulder stability, trunk control and locomotion using only your bodyweight.

In the Primal Play Method®, Bear Crawls can be used as a movement skill, conditioning task or playful challenge. Changing the speed, distance, direction, surface, or rules creates a different physical and playful experience.

What does the Bear Crawl train?

Bear Crawls challenge multiple muscle groups across the upper body, trunk and lower body. They also require coordinated movement between opposite arms and legs.

Research on quadrupedal movement training suggests that these movements can produce moderate to high muscle activation across several upper-body and lower-body muscles. A small randomised trial also found improvements in cognitive flexibility and joint repositioning after four weeks of progressive quadrupedal training in healthy young adults.[1,2]

Faster or longer Bear Crawl sessions can also raise cardiovascular demand. The effect depends on your speed, duration, recovery and fitness level.

What muscles does the Bear Crawl use?

The Bear Crawl challenges the shoulders, chest, arms, back, trunk, hips and legs. Your shoulders and arms support and move the upper body. Your trunk muscles control rotation and help maintain position. Your hips and legs support the lower body and drive each step.

The muscular demand changes with your speed, body position, direction and any additional resistance.

HOW TO DO THE BEAR CRAWL Step by Step

1. Begin on your hands and knees.

2. Position your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.

3. Tuck your toes and lift your knees slightly above the floor.

4. Keep your back relatively flat and your trunk controlled.

5. Move your right hand and left foot forward together.

6. Repeat with your left hand and right foot.

7. Continue using small, controlled steps.

Keep your knees close to the floor. Stay light through your hands and feet. Limit excessive side-to-side movement through your hips.

Start with a short distance and a pace you can control. Reduce the speed, distance or duration when your technique begins to deteriorate.

Aim for stability.

Start with short distances and a pace you can control. Reduce the range, speed or duration if you lose trunk control or experience pain. Every time you move in this position, your body will naturally want to shift side-to-side, but you want to challenge your core to maintain a stable trunk position. More difficult than it sounds.

Move Animal, Think Human. Move with control and ease. Explore how the movement feels at different speeds and in different directions.

Bear Crawl Exercise Demonstration and Benefits

Watch Darryl Edwards demonstrate the Bear Crawl while the voiceover explains how this full-body quadrupedal movement challenges strength, coordination, trunk control, muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness.

Common Bear Crawl Mistakes and how to Fix Them

RELATED: benefits of quadrupedal (moving on all fours) movement.


How can you make the Bear Crawl harder?

Here are several ideas to increase the intensity of the Bear Crawl exercise.

Once you feel comfortable with the basic movement, you can:

1. Crawl backwards.

2. Crawl sideways.

3. Move in slow motion.

4. Increase your speed while maintaining control.

5. Crawl uphill.

6. Add resistance with a weighted vest.

7. Add changes of direction.

8. Introduce reactions, rules or a partner.

The Treadmill Bear Crawl is an advanced, unconventional variation. Become confident with the floor-based version first.

How to Make the Bear Crawl Easier

Start with a four-point crawl while keeping your knees on the ground. This reduces the effort required to hold your knees above the floor while you learn the movement pattern.

You can also:

1. Reduce the distance.

2. Move more slowly.

3. Take smaller steps.

4. Practise holding the Bear Crawl position without travelling.

5. Rest whenever you lose control of the position.

Bear Crawl Variations

Standard Bear Crawl: Move forwards using opposite hands and feet.

Backwards Bear Crawl: Reverse the movement and direction.

Lateral Bear Crawl: Travel sideways while maintaining your position.

Slow-Motion Bear Crawl: Move as slowly and smoothly as possible.

Fast Bear Crawl: Increase your pace while retaining coordination.

Incline Bear Crawl: Travel uphill to increase the challenge.

Weighted Bear Crawl: Add resistance after developing consistent technique.

Treadmill Bear Crawl: An advanced equipment-based variation using a moving belt.

Bear Crawl Tag: Turn the movement into a reactive social game.

Each variation shifts the strength, coordination, conditioning or playful demand in a different way. Mixing them keeps the movement fresh and gives your body new challenges over time.

How to Use Bear Crawls in Your Training

How does the Bear Crawl fit into the Primal Play Method®?

The Bear Crawl is a foundational movement in the Primal Play Method®. It can be used for locomotion, strength, coordination, conditioning and games.

Changing the direction, speed, environment or rules transforms the same movement into a different physical and playful challenge.

This adaptability allows children to explore movement, adults to build fitness and older adults to practise strength and coordination at an appropriate level.

Explore more examples in Primal Play in Practice and Animal Moves.

Bear Crawl FAQs

Are Bear Crawls good for strength and cardio?

Bear Crawls can challenge muscular endurance, coordination and cardiovascular fitness. The effect depends on speed, duration, distance, resistance and recovery.

Why are Bear Crawls so hard?

Bear Crawls require your arms and legs to support and move your body while your trunk controls rotation. Several areas of the body work at the same time, which can make the movement feel demanding quickly.

Why do Bear Crawls hurt?

Bear Crawls should feel physically demanding. Pain is a reason to modify or stop. Wrist, shoulder, knee, hip or back discomfort may relate to your position, range, load or individual capacity. Reduce the distance, slow down, use the supported version or choose another movement.

How long should a beginner Bear Crawl?

Start with 5 to 10 controlled steps or 15 to 20 seconds. Rest fully and repeat only while you can maintain your position.

Can children do Bear Crawls?

Yes. Bear Crawls can be used in active play, physical education and movement-development activities. Keep the distance short and focus on exploration, control and enjoyment.

Are Bear Crawls suitable for older adults?

They can be adapted for some older adults. Suitability depends on the person’s ability to get down to and up from the floor, tolerate weight through the hands and maintain the position. Start with a supported version and adjust it to the individual. The movement supports independence and physical capacity in daily life, which aligns with the broader goals of active ageing through the Primal Play Method®.

How often can I include Bear Crawls?

Two or three times per week can be a reasonable starting point for many people. Frequency depends on the intensity, total training load and recovery.

Do Bear Crawls improve cognition?

A small study found improved cognitive flexibility after four weeks of progressive quadrupedal movement training in healthy young adults. The study examined a structured training programme that included several movements, so the findings cannot be attributed to Bear Crawls alone.[2] That said, the movement's coordination demands engage the brain in ways that simple, repetitive exercises often do not.

Can I do Bear Crawls at home?

Yes. You need a clear floor area and no equipment. You can crawl forwards and backwards over a short distance when space is limited. Carpet, grass or a padded surface can make the movement more comfortable for your hands and knees when you are starting out.

What is the difference between a Bear Crawl and a Crab Walk?

A Bear Crawl is performed face-down, moving on your hands and feet with your hips above the floor. A Crab Walk is performed face-up, with your hips lifted and your hands and feet on the floor. Both are quadrupedal movements that challenge the trunk, arms, and legs, but they work the body differently because of the change in body position and direction of load.

Written and demonstrated by Darryl Edwards, founder of the Primal Play Method®, author of Animal Moves, CIMSPA Chartered Fellow and exercise medicine practitioner.

References:

[1] Buxton J, Daugherty M, Grubbs R, et al. Comparison of muscle activation during quadrupedal movement training and traditional bodyweight exercises. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024;40:2173-2178. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.11.002

[2] Matthews MJ, Yusuf M, Doyle C, Thompson C. Quadrupedal movement training improves markers of cognition and joint repositioning. Hum Mov Sci. 2016;47:70-80. doi:10.1016/j.humov.2016.02.002.

RELATED: Try a Bear Crawl on a Treadmill

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How To Duck Walk

The Duck Walk is one of my favourite Animal Moves and is certainly more challenging than it looks! As you probably guessed this movement snack mimics the walk of ducks.

THE DUCK WALK

I used to suffer from a lot of knee pain—in fact wearing knee supports and taking anti-inflammatories for more than a decade to avoid pain!

The Duck Walk Helps To Strengthen The Knee

Duck Walks are a great way to strengthen the soft tissue and stabilisers around the knee. It may be uncomfortable to begin with but it is worth persevering with.

This Duck Walk movement pattern was one part of the process to help me regain mobility and reduce knee pain in a way that nothing else could match. It is a great way to increase leg strength, flexibility, ankle stability, and posture.

Beginners / Advanced

For beginners, start with a shallow lunge movement, focusing on keeping the knees well above the ground. For a more advanced Duck Walk movement, bend down all the way until your front knee lightly touches the ground.

RELATED: The Bunny Hop

ANIMAL MOVES BOOK

Here I am trying some arboreal locomotion. Or as most people would say: climbing a tree.

Tree-climbing is a great activity for humans, young or old. Tree climbing can be about rediscovering childhood pleasures or reconnecting with nature when you live in a city.

When was the last time you climbed a tree?

I love the fear, the challenge, the risk, the whole body activity, the fact that every experience of climbing —even the same tree—differs each time. Sometimes it is effortless and seamless, other times uncomfortable and awkward.

It’s like navigating a 3D jigsaw puzzle and wondering what piece you are every step of the way!

I also love the exhilaration of getting down, oh the rush!

RELATED: What Are The Benefits of Climbing Trees?

MORE MOVEMENT:

TRAIN ANIMAL MOVE HUMAN:

Movement Challenge

Primal Play snack time. ⁣Test your reflexes with the Coin Drop activity.

Here’s a game to test eye-to-hand coordination. The Coin Drop.

1. Put one arm out with your palm facing the floor at chest height.

2. Now, place a coin on top of your hand just before the knuckles and throw the coin upwards about 6 inches (15 centimetres).

3. As soon as you throw, try to catch the coin with the same hand before it hits the floor.

4. To make it more difficult begin with the palm at waist height or start with 2-3 coins instead (different weighted coins are even more challenging).

5. Make it partner based standing in front of your partner with several coins and drop from different heights to make this more randomised and interactive.

The video below demonstrates the Coin Drop using two coins.

TRY OUT A FEW OTHER MOVES: 

• Bunny Hop 90s

• Kangaroo Jump

RELATED MOVEMENT:

I don’t stretch, I pandiculate.

What’s Pandiculation?

Pandiculation is nature's way to prepare your body for movement. Usually, it begins with creating muscle tension throughout the body; then, a release of the muscle leads to relaxation and an improved range of motion immediately.

Think of a young child yawning and how they position their bodies as they do so. This isn’t unique to humans though, all mammals do it.

Usually, we do this on waking up—you've probably experienced it when getting out of bed, you yawn and pandiculate slowly (even though most people think of this as a stretch) and get ready for your day.

USE IT OR LOSE IT

However, pandiculation's natural physical process is something we become more self-conscious of as we age, and so we do it less and less even though we certainly need to do it more.

RELATED: Find out more about the process of stretching vs pandiculation

The video below covers the basics of pandiculation so you can get a visual cue.

This is something I do on a regular basis—at least several times daily—to maintain mobility and to loosen things up without the pain and discomfort that can often come from some stretching regimens.

Pandiculation is certainly one benefit of embracing your inner child and forgetting about what other people think. It can help you to move more and play more.

MORE MOVEMENT:

Primal Play Movement Snack Time.

Try this movement snack which transitions from standing to floor poses and and keep the flow as controlled and graceful as you can for 30-seconds to 1-minute.

⁣Slow and steady but ending with a spring in the step.

Stand to Squat to Bear Pose to Squat to Crab Pose to Squat to Stand

1. Start in a standing position and lower into a deep squat.

2. Then transition to a Bear Pose

3. Then revert back to the squat

4. Then into a Crab Pose

5. Back to a Deep Squat and then quickly back to the start position.

RELATED: Try the Crab-Shoulder-Knee-Toe

MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE:

Movement Challenge
⁣
Primal Play snack time. ⁣Try a few of these Bunny Hop 90s. This is a variation on the Bunny Hop, one of my favourite Animal Moves.

Talk about bullet-proofing the ankles, knees and lower back! The Achilles, calves, quads, glutes, hamstrings, heart, lungs, upper back and whatever else I forgot. Pretty much all covered…
⁣
Try 3 sets of 10 in quick succession, standing up in between each round.

Train Animal. Move Human

Be playful while being active for even more benefits.

TRY OUT A FEW OTHER MOVES: 

• The Bunny Hop

• Sprinting

RELATED MOVES:

Primal Play Movement Snack Time.

This really tests coordination!

This speedy cross-body movement snack is a great left-right brain activity that helps to boost BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) as well as improving hippocampal volume. Great for short term cognitive performance and focus as well as reducing the likelihood of age-related cognitive decline.

Aim to speed up as you get better, nice and speedy for at least 30-seconds. Tougher than it looks and a significant challenge for the brain and body. PLUS IT’S FUN. Give it a whirl.

A great one for kids to try too.

Standing Shoulder-Elbow-Hip-Knee-Toe

1. Start in a standing position and rhythmically tap your left hand to the right shoulder as you lift your right leg.

2. Then lower your left hand and right leg as you switch to the other side.

3. Raise your right hand and tap the left shoulder as you lift your left leg.

4. Then continue to tap the opposite knees, toes, and then behind the body to the heels with a steady rhythm.

5. Go as fast and as controlled as possible.

6. To make this lower impact and lower intensity, slow this down to a marching pace.

RELATED: Try the Crab-Shoulder-Knee-Toe

TRY OUT MORE MOVES:

Another crawling variation related to the Bear Crawl. This one is called the Dog Limp. Looks so easy right?

𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗽 - an interesting variation using only one leg! Tougher than it looks especially when you go for a reasonable distance, try 10-20 metres for a decent movement snack size.⁣
⁣
Takes quite a bit of core and midline stability, plus shoulder strength too.

DOG LIMP TECHNIQUE

1. Start in a crouched position and drop onto all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders. Fully extend your arms and rise onto the balls of the feet. Keep your knees off the ground.

2. Raise one leg as if mimicking a dog limping and then walk forward.

RELATED: Try a Bear Crawl

RELATED ANIMAL MOVES:

SOME ANIMAL MOVES PRODUCTS:

The Bunny Lunge one of my favourite Animal Moves certainly more challenging than it looks!

Keep it nice and controlled. Don’t jump too high. If these are too challenging try the Bunny Hop first until you get the hang of it.

Be playful while being active for even more benefits.

TRY OUT A FEW OTHER MOVES: 

• The Bunny Hop

• Sprinting

MORE ANIMAL MOVES TO TRY:

The Kangaroo Jump one of my favourite Animal Moves, functional and fun, simple and sweet, primal and playful!

Keep it nice and controlled. Don’t jump too high.

Focus on breathing, focus on landing...

Be playful while being active for even more benefits.

TRY OUT A FEW OTHER MOVES: 

• The Bunny Hop

• Sprinting

RELATED POSTS:

This really tests coordination!

This speedy cross-body action is a great left-right brain activity that helps to boost BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) as well as improving hippocampal volume. Great for short term cognitive performance and focus as well as reducing cognitive decline as we get older.

Aim to speed up as you get better, nice and speedy for at least 30-seconds. Tougher than it looks and a significant challenge for the brain and body. PLUS IT’S FUN. Give it a whirl.

A great one for kids to try too.

Standing Shoulder-Elbow-Hip-Knee-Toe

1. Start in a standing position and rhythmically tap your left hand to the right shoulder as you lift your left leg.

2. Then raise your right hand and tap the left shoulder as you lift your right leg.

3. Then continue to tap the inside of the elbows, the hips, the knees and then the feet with a steady rhythm.

4. Go as fast and as controlled as possible.

RELATED: Try the Crab-Shoulder-Knee-Toe

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The Bear Shuffle is a bodyweight exercise related to the Bear Crawl which involves shuffling the knees left to right as you move forward.

It is a total body quadrupedal movement with an additional coordination challenge that will boost cognitive function too!

BEAR SHUFFLE TECHNIQUE

1. Start in a crouched position and drop onto all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders. Fully extend your arms and rise onto the balls of the feet. Keep your knees off the ground.

2. Raise your right hand and rotate your hip to the right as you shuffle your left knee to the right-hand side as if almost trying to touch your right elbow.

3. Then alternate with the opposite arm and knee and repeat as you drive forward.

RELATED: Try a Bear Crawl

MORE MOVEMENT:

ANIMAL MOVES PRODUCTS:

The Crab Shoulder-Knee-Toe is a bodyweight exercise related to the Crab Walk which involves staying in a crab position and tapping the opposite shoulder-knee-toe in quick succession. It is a total body compound movement with mobility, coordination helping with cognitive function too.

Crab Shoulder-Knee-Toe Technique

1. Start in a crouched position and place your hands behind your body and lift your hips so your bottom is off the ground.

2. Raise your right hand and tap the left shoulder, knee, then toe quickly. Stay stable and controlled as you do so.

3. Then go back to start position and do it for the opposite side.

RELATED: Try a Crab Walk

MORE MOVEMENT:

The Crab 3-Tap is a bodyweight exercise related to the Crab Walk which involves staying in a crab position and tapping the knee-toe-knee in quick succession. It is a total body compound movement.

Crab 3-Tap Technique

1. Start in a crouched position and place your hands behind your body and lift your hips so your bottom is off the ground.

2. Raise your right hand and tap the left knee, toe and then back to the knee quickly. Stay stable and controlled as you do so.

3. Then go back to start position and do it on the opposite side.

RELATED: Try a Crab Walk

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The push-up is a bodyweight exercise which is raising and lowering the body to the ground using the arms. Thinking about the push-up as a moving plank, a total body compound movement.

According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, an average of between 70-to-75 per cent of one’s bodyweight is supported during a push-up.[1]

Push-Up Technique

1. Place your hands on the ground with your fingers pointing straight ahead and your arms straight.

2. Step your feet back until your body forms a straight line from head to toe.

3. Keep your feet together and hold your midsection and back tight.

4. Inhale as you lower your torso to the ground. Stop when your chest and body touch the floor.

5. Using your whole body, exhale and push your torso back up to the starting position.

Are There Any Animals That Do Push-Ups?

Is there an Animal Move similar to the push-up movement pattern? Well, the Western Fence Lizard seems to do a great variation of the push-up!

Reference:

[1] Suprak, David N; Dawes, Jay; Stephenson, Mark D (February 2011). "The Effect of Position on the Percentage of Body Mass Supported During Traditional and Modified Push-up Variants" (PDF). Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 25 (2): 497–503. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181bde2cf.

RELATED POSTS:

Crane Pose - Animal Moves

I call this a Crane Pose - an Animal Moves movement pattern inspired by the animal kingdom. One great test of balance.

Here are a few pointers:

1. Stand tall with good posture

2. Balance on one leg

3. Raise the other leg’s knee to hip height

4. Hold the Crane Pose for the allotted time (in seconds)

5. Repeat the Crane Pose for the same time on the other leg

TRY THE BUNNY HOP: a 360 degree version of the Bunny Hop

RELATED POSTS:

The Squat: one of the most fundamental movement patterns

The bodyweight squat or air squat is a version of the squat, without added resistance.

The squat is a functional movement pattern based on sitting down and standing up. The squat is one of the most fundamental human movements, it activates most of the musculoskeletal system but it’s also difficult for many of us to do—especially as adults.

Have you ever seen a baby squat? You’ve probably noticed how easily kids do it!

Have you ever travelled to parts of the world where people squat more so than using chairs? You’ve probably noticed how easily people of all ages do it elsewhere.

In the Western world, we have a huge set back as the chair tends to dominate.

The modern chair has become a substitute for the squat. The ever increasing reliance on the chair means that we stand less and we squat less, the muscles involved (pretty much all of them in the posterior chain) atrophy become weaker and we lose flexibility. Stretching more is not usually the solution, taking the opportunity to squat more certainly is.

RELATED: Why Does The Chair Dominate In Modern Society?

The squat mainly targets the legs and the glutes. However, it also improves core strength & stability in the upper body (including the ab and back muscles), ankle mobility, calves, and other factors such as balance and coordination play an important role when you are doing this exercise. As you can see in the video at the top of the article as I slow things down and use my arms as a counter balance pretty much everything is engaged as a total-body activity.

Check out this article if you would like more detailed pointers to align your squat more closely with that of a young kid.

RELATED : Squat on a Park Bench

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Primal Play is for ALL!

If you have about 30 seconds or so free, check out this video. It’s pretty much guaranteed to make you smile. 😊

This was certainly one of my most rewarding and emotional experiences so far in 2020 hosting a mini Primal Play Method playshop with an inclusive dance company called This Is Us in Kent.

One of the fundamental principles of the Primal Play Method is to ensure ANYONE can take part in a session regardless of age, ability, disability or skill level. Some people are just not catered for when it comes to fitness programs - elitism usually reigns. Well, that’s not what Primal Play is about, full participation and laughter should be an expected outcome.

With movement, our differences should inspire everyone to achieve their potential. We can all find our inner superhero and children (or adults) with special educational needs or disabilities should be catered for.

One of the games played in the video above was Primal Play Tag, check out the health benefits of playing tag for children and adults in this blog post. We also played a version of Sticky Shoulders too.

RELATED: What Are The Benefits of Rough And Tumble Play?

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HOW TO GIVE A PIGGY-BACK CARRY

Lifting weights (resistance training) can be fun especially if you are carrying another human being!

Technique

1. Be strong. Make sure you can support your partner in a carry.

2. Stand up straight with your arms hanging loosely at your sides.

3. Have your partner stand behind you.

4. Bend your knees slightly and have your partner place their arms over your shoulders.

5. Reach straight back with your arms underneath your partner’s legs and slowly raise the rider by straightening your legs.

6. Make sure you support their upper body weight and keep your back as straight as possible, hold them just behind the knees.

7. Once steady, walk at a fast but stable pace.

8. Communicate constantly so your partner knows when to dismount, and lower yourself gently when necessary.

MODIFICATIONS:

• Difficult to do: Beginners can use a filled backpack or carry much lighter individuals than your own bodyweight.

• Easy to do: For those who are more experienced with piggy-backs scale-up by carrying someone much heavier than you, or go superhero and carry 2 or more individuals, see image below.

RELATED: Try some Bear Crawl Tag

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TRAIN ANIMAL MOVE HUMAN