The bear crawl engages the rectus abdominus, the “six-pack” region of the core muscles. Bear crawls force the abs to contract isometrically to prevent unwanted torso movement as the arms and legs crawl forward.

The bear crawl is a fundamental, total body exercise that can rehabilitate and strengthen your shoulder joints, develop the leg and core muscles, and improve cardiovascular conditioning. When performing the bear crawl you use muscles throughout the entire body including the chest, shoulder and back, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and core.

The bear crawl exercise works everything from improving core strength to activating the upper and lower body. In the quadruped position, most of your body’s weight is distributed in the shoulders, quadriceps, and core muscles. In addition, the chest, back, glutes, and hamstrings assist your body in smoothly moving through the bear crawl pattern.

Since bear crawls can increase core strength, they might also help enhance balance and posture. Just keep in mind, we need more studies on bear crawls alone to prove these perks. Core stability training might also reduce your risk of injury, according to a 2013 study.