Crawling Newest Fitness Fad At Gyms Across Country
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- One the newest fitness fads may look better suited for a toddler than an adult.
But crawling is becoming a hit at gyms across the country.
It turns out that crawling like a baby is a great workout for adults. Trainers say it helps build core and arm strength, and improves balance and endurance.
In crawling exercise classes, students hit the floor on all fours to crawl their way to better health.
State Reports Finds New Jersey Teens Should Start School Later
There's the traditional toddler move, and then there are more creative crab crawls.
Fitness trainer Adam Lerner includes crawls in his classes, with each movement activating multiple parts of the body.
"Your triceps are working, your chest is working, your abs are working, your hips are working," says Lerner.
Experts say crawling offers more than just a workout.
Some claim it can essentially reset your body and bring back strength and mobility that most people lose over the years.
Crawling is an essential movement that helps babies develop core functions like balance, reflexive strength, and hand-eye coordination.
Experts say, as an adult, crawling fires up muscles that don't always get used the way they should.
"You'll get in really good shape if you're just crawling and pulling," says Lerner.
"It takes a little while to kind of get used to it," says CrossFit student Jamie Alexander.
Volunteers Camp Out In Cape May County To Raise Awareness Of Homelessness
Alexander says while the crawling concept may seem simple enough, it takes more focus than you might expect.
"For me, my brain is being activated the whole time as I'm crawling," he said. "You got to keep everything really tight, but at the same time you have to have the coordination to have the arms and legs move at the same time properly."
This type of exercise gets the body back to basics and better health one crawl at a time.
There is some research that suggests crawling may also help improve chronic health conditions like high blood pressure.
Experts say crawling can have neurological benefits, because it unites the sensory and balance systems and that can improve hand-eye coordination.
