Why Crawling is Worth Trying At Any Age (Especially After 50)
Crawling isn’t just for babies. It’s a full-body movement that can help you get stronger, more mobile, and more balanced – without needing fancy equipment or a gym membership.
In this video (https://youtu.be/Kwj56U0KXGU), I call crawling one of the most underrated exercises, and I’d like to show you why.
What Crawling Does for Your Body
- Strengthens Your Core and Shoulders
Crawling uses your deep core muscles, shoulders, and hips all at once. Research shows that crawling can target your abs, obliques, and back muscles while keeping your spine supported – this video shows you how to do it in a “bear crawl” (https://www.self.com/story/bear-crawl-exercise)).
- Keeps Your Joints Moving
Shoulders, wrists, hips, and ankles all get gentle movement, which is important as wrist fractures are common in women as they age. The novel movement that your joints go through can help with stiffness and keep your joints lubricated through a range of motion they are not used to.
(https://betterme.world/articles/crawling-exercises-boost-core-and-mobility)).
3. Improves Balance and Coordination
Crawling uses an opposite hand–opposite foot pattern. This cross-body action wakes up your brain and helps with coordination – an important skill to maintain as we age. If you think about it is one of the methods that toddlers use to help develop their brains, they crawl!
(https://wholelifehealth.uk/post/benefits-of-crawling-movement)).
4. Builds Real-World Strength
The strength you gain from crawling makes everyday tasks easier – carrying groceries, bending to pick something up and especially getting up from the floor. As we age these movements become harder to do, reaching under a kitchen table to pick something up etc…they should be easy but if we lack the strength and flexibility to get down to the floor efficiently they can become challenging.
How to Start Crawling
You don’t need much space – a yoga mat or a bit of carpet is enough.
Step 1: Set Up
Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Tuck your toes under.
Step 2: Lift Your Knees
Lift your knees just an inch or two off the ground. Keep your back flat and your tummy gently pulled in.
Step 3: Move Slowly
Move your right hand and left foot forward together, then your left hand and right foot. Take small, slow steps with your feet so they don’t ‘catch up’ with your hands and you end up sticking your butt in the air.
Step 4: Start Small
Try 15–20 seconds at a time. Rest, then repeat for two or three rounds.
As you get comfortable, add a little more time or try crawling backward or sideways.
Tips for People Over 50
- Keep your movements slow and controlled.
- If your wrists feel uncomfortable, you can follow some wrist mobilization before hand – like this one: https://youtu.be/LQXOscoE2jc?si=mM05ZBCeIncI3aad
- Focus on quality over quantity – a few good steps are better than rushing.
- Pair it with your regular walks or strength routine for a whole-body boost.
Why It’s Worth Adding to Your Routine
Crawling brings together strength, mobility, and brain-body coordination in one simple move. It’s easy to fit into your day, gentle enough to start with, and can grow with you as you get stronger.
A few minutes a day is enough to make a difference in how steady, strong, and mobile you feel.
