CRAWLING for better posture and developing reflexive strength

CRAWLING???

A new buzz word these days is crawling. From group classes to boot camps and to personal training sessions, everywhere one can see people crawling like bears, spiders, lizard crocodile etc…………………..

Why this crawling is so much in fashion these days?

Crawling is a very important part of developmental phase of a kid, in which the kids start creating the foundations of human gait pattern or walking. By moving contra laterally they learn to connect upper and lower body(shoulders and hips, elbows and knees).This is also the phase where real development of reflexive core strength(not the core strength we are used with six pack washboard abs) starts as crawling is a midline crossing move.

The movement of our head during crawling enriches and develops our vestibular system, so our balance is improved and eventually we become capable to stand, walk and finally sprint. The touch of ground we feel during baby crawl activates millions of proprioceptors present in hands, feet, elbows and knees. Without proprioceptors we are as good as dead.
We as a modern society spend most of our time in chairs and our head into smart phones and laptop screens. Due to the lack of movement in our neck and scarcity of overall movement due to prolonged hours of sitting we start losing the reflexive core strength, which is not considered as strength these days.

Lack of reflexive core strength weakens our reflexes, balance and finally our kinesthetic awareness. We may be in a poor posture but we don’t know as there are no active proprioceptors to tell our brain that we are in a compromised position. We barely spend time on ground, and puffy mattresses are weakening our senses day by day.
The loss of reactive core strength not only give us poor posture but may lead us to various joint injuries, poor memory, hypertonic pelvic floor, chronic back pain etc….

To gain the reflexive core strength we should start our journey gradually like a child. First start moving your neck, then rocking and rolling like a child and then baby crawl. What’s happening these days in the name of crawling, we as trainers put the clients into heavily demanding crawling positions like bear or lizard crawl. In place of feeling their body, their breath, exploring the ambience like a kid, clients feel discomfort and pain. Pain and discomfort hamper the body’s natural ability to correct the dysfunctions, now crawling is actually adding the dysfunctions, not resolving them.
So my suggestion is nod, rock, roll and then baby crawl.
After 2-3 months of these basic steps, slowly start a bit demanding crawling variation. You are on the road of recovery not the road of glory. So be mindful while suggesting crawling to someone or doing it by yourself.

Takeaways from this article:
Crawling is paramount to develop a reflexively strong body.
It connects upper and lower body to work in sync.
Crawling automatically reinforce diaphragmatic breathing
Crawling improve posture and balance, so save us from
injuries.

Do not rush, start with baby crawling and build the foundation for advance crawling patterns like Spider man crawl.

Crawling is simple, but it is not necessarily easy .And yeah it makes you intelligent.*

*More on this in next article 🙂

Abhishek Singh 
Master coach
Ballistic Kettlebell Fitness Academy