To work the muscles of the body we do not need sophisticated machines or structured exercises, but with the simple fact of getting moving we can achieve great results. Today we propose you to work the whole body imitating different animals. Yes, you read correctly, because although it looks like a game, imitating the animal nature you can get complete and effective exercises.

Walk like an animal

Surely you have heard about the march of the bear or the exercise called crab walk that consists of walking like a crab, since both movements are especially useful for working different muscles of the body.

The bear crawl or step of the bear is a very used movement in Crossfit whose technique of execution begins kneeling on the ground. We must then support both palms on the floor and take off the knees by raising the hip.

With this movement, we will not only burn calories and exercise coordination, but also work on the rectus abdominis and obliques of the abdomen, dorsal, trapezius, deltoid, psoas iliac, quadriceps, gluteus maximus and calf.

The walk of the crab or crab walk consists of walking lying flat on the back, also supporting feet and palms on the ground. We will move with our hands behind the torso and the abdomen contracted to elevate the hip as our Vitónica colleagues indicate.

With this exercise we will work intensely shoulders and triceps that support much of the weight of the body, but we will also request the effort of hamstrings, quadriceps, soleus, lumbar and rectus abdominis.

Jump imitating different animals

The Leap Frog is one of the most used exercises when it’s time to warm up, burn calories and work hard the lower body, but in addition to this popular movement, we can jump imitating other animals.

For example, we can jump into the crab position, that is, lying on our backs, with our hands resting on the floor behind the torso and our feet supported with our knees bent, we raise our hips and start jumping alternately taking off the feet of the floor.

Another option is to jump like a horse, for which we will lie face down, we will support the palms of the hands on the ground and feet and raise the rest of the body forming an inverted “V” with our body.

Always keeping your back straight we must flex the knees and take each jump the heels to the buttocks to work on your shoulders, arms, hamstrings and buttocks intensely in addition to burning calories.

Finally you can work half area, legs and buttocks jumping as a rabbit does to move, that is to say, standing we will start the movement placing ourselves with the knees bent and buttocks near the heels. With hands behind the back of the neck and back as straight and upright as possible we must jump with both feet together.

Clearly we can have a lot of fun imitating animals but also, we can perform complete and effective exercises to work the whole body with their movements.

Do you dare to try?