Can Animal Flow Workouts Improve Your Balance and Flexibility?
Key takeaways:
Animal Flow is a form of quadrupedal movement training. It involves ground-based bodyweight exercises that mimic animal movements.
In an Animal Flow workout, exercises –– like the crab reach or beast crawl –– are linked in a flowing sequence.
Research suggests that Animal Flow can improve balance, flexibility, and strength.
Traditional resistance workouts focus on building muscle mass and strength. While that’s certainly important, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Other factors –– such as endurance and flexibility –– are also critical for your fitness.
Enter Animal Flow: This exercise program incorporates animal-like movements such as crawling, squatting, and reaching. This type of functional movement training takes a more holistic approach to fitness. And research suggests it can have several benefits for your body.
Animal Flow workouts can challenge your body in novel ways. Here’s what you need to know before you get started.
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What is an Animal Flow workout?
Animal Flow is a form of quadrupedal movement training (QMT) created by fitness educator and movement coach Mike Fitch. Karen Mahar, PhD, Animal Flow’s Chief Operating Officer explained that while QMT may seem technical or scientific, it's simple if you break it down.
"Quadrupedal refers to having four points of contact –– your hands and feet. Movement refers to moving in all directions and at a variety of joint angles. And training refers to incorporating useful exercises and movements," Mahar explained.
An Animal Flow workout involves coordinated floor-based movements using only your body weight. These movements mimic the moves animals make. Each movement is given an animal name, such as the crab, ape, or beast.
Animal Flow movements are grouped into the following six categories:
Wrist mobilizations: Many Animal Flow movements involve bearing weight through your hands. Wrist mobilizations are dynamic stretches that warm up your wrists and hands.
Activations: These are static holds in foundational positions like the crab or beast. They aim to "wake up" your muscles and improve body awareness.
Form-specific stretches: These stretches blend flexibility and stability. They target muscle groups you use for animal postures throughout the workout.
Traveling forms: Traveling forms are the core movements of Animal Flow. They involve specific techniques that imitate animal movements.
Switches and transitions: These dynamic movements link foundational positions, building coordination and agility.
Flows: This is the final stage of an Animal Flow workout. Flows combine various positions and transitions into a continuous, fluid sequence.
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What are some common Animal Flow exercises?
You might practice several exercises during an Animal Flow workout. Examples include:
Crab walk
Traveling ape
Beast crawl
Scorpion reach
Side kick through
Here’s how to practice two of Mahar’s favorite Animal flow exercises.
Crab reach
"With so many people spending hours a day seated or hunched forward, opening the hips and extending the spine is crucial," said Mahar. She explained that the crab reach is a great way to do this:
Step 1: Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and your palms on the floor behind you. In this foundational crab position, you lift your hips a few inches off the ground and hold.
Step 2: To move into the crab reach, press through your feet and lift your hips higher. Extend your right arm up and over to the left, transferring your weight to your left arm.
Step 3: Hold briefly before lowering to the starting position.
Underswitch
The underswitch is a transition move that connects the crab with the Beast position. "It places a serious rotary challenge on nearly every joint in the body, making it a great way to improve overall athleticism," said Mahar. And you can practice at different speeds for an added challenge:
Step 1: Start in the crab position, seated with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and your palms on the floor behind you.
Step 2: Lift your left hand and right foot, balancing on your right hand and left foot.
Step 3: Rotate your body to the right by bringing your right leg under your body and your left hand to the right and toward the floor. You should land with both palms on the floor, knees bent and hovering just above the floor, and the ball of your right foot on the floor.
Step 4: Continue the rotation until you’re back in the starting crab position.
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What are the benefits of Animal Flow?
Animal movements have been used as a form of exercise for thousands of years, said Mahar. There aren’t a lot of studies on the benefits of QMT. But recent research has shown that QMT, including Animal Flow, can improve several areas of physical fitness.
Increases flexibility and range of motion
Many exercises move the body in one plane of motion, such as up and down, side to side, or front to back. Animal Flow workouts move the body in multiple directions. QMT movements are designed to take the joints through their full range of motion. Dynamic stretching lengthens muscles, allowing the joints to move freely. This combination of multi-planar movements, stretching, and joint mobility exercises can increase flexibility and range of motion.
Improves balance and coordination
The multidirectional movements in an Animal Flow workout can be hard to learn, almost like dance moves. But practicing them can improve your coordination. QMT has been shown to improve proprioception.
Proprioception is your ability to sense your body’s position and movement in space. It allows you to stay balanced on uneven surfaces and coordinate your limbs during complex movements. Better proprioception can lead to better balance and coordination during daily activities and exercises.
Boosts muscle strength and endurance
Animal Flow only uses your body weight as resistance. Movements often involve balancing your weight on one arm or leg, which provides a big challenge for the muscles. Research shows that QMT is particularly effective for strengthening small stabilizer muscles throughout your body. These muscles help with motion control and balance. QMT crawling movements can also strengthen your core.
Continuous, flowing moves during Animal Flow workouts may help build muscular endurance. When you lift weights, you take breaks between sets to allow your muscles to recover. In an Animal Flow workout, you move through a sequence of exercises without taking a break. This challenges your muscles to work for longer periods without fatiguing.
Supports weight management
A study showed that Animal Flow burned more calories than walking on a treadmill when heart rates for both activities were matched. The researchers concluded that Animal Flow met the American College of Sports Medicine’s guidelines for moderate-intensity activity. This means it counts as a cardiovascular activity. And it can help you find or stay at a comfortable weight.
How can you get started with Animal Flow workouts?
If you’re ready to try Animal Flow, start online. Search for in-person Animal Flow classes in your area or head to Animal Flow’s on-demand class platform. Even if you have a solid foundation of fitness, it’s important to start with the basics.
"We recommend focusing on learning the movements slowly, with proper technique," said Mahar. By learning the foundational movements, it is easier to progress to the more advanced ones, added Mahar.
In the beginning, your wrists might be a little sore. You’re probably not used to putting a lot of weight on your hands. But if you warm up, start slowly, and stick with it, you’ll minimize soreness. And your body will adapt to the strain.
There’s no set schedule or number of sessions you should do per week. Maher says the system is flexible and can be used in many ways depending on your needs. "Some flowists have a daily Animal Flow practice, and you’ll see them performing advanced flows that provide an intense workout," said Maher.
Other people practice Animal Flow a few times a week. And some people mix Animal Flow moves into other workouts, using Animal Flow as a warm-up or incorporating specific movements into an exercise circuit.
The bottom line
Animal Flow workouts offer benefits that more traditional exercise routines don’t. These include better balance, coordination, and flexibility. It takes time to adjust to the routine, which includes exercises that mimic animal movements. If you plan to try it, start with the basics and build slowly.
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References
Animal Flow. (n.d.). What is animal flow?
Animal Flow. (2023). 1 tip for a better underswitch [video]. YouTube.
Animal Flow. (2023). 2 tips for a better crab reach [video]. YouTube.
Animal Flow. (2024). Animal flow movement tutorial: Forward traveling bear [video]. YouTube.
Animal Flow. (2024). Animal flow movement tutorial: Side kickthrough [video]. YouTube.
Buxton, J. D., et al. (2022). A comparison of the energy demands of quadrupedal movement training to walking. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.
Buxton, J. D., et al. (2022). The effects of a novel quadrupedal movement training program on functional movement, range of motion, muscular strength, and endurance. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Learn Genetics. (n.d.). Proprioception: Additional information.
