The Bear Crawl
What a bear crawl looks like
The bear crawl is a very simple exercise to watch and looks quite easy. Trying to perform it gracefully without your bum sticking in the air is another challenge entirely. For something that looks so easy I was blown away by how exhausting this exercise is.
The bear crawl is a great exercise for core stability, shoulder stability and coordination between the arms and the legs. Moving in different directions as shown in the video adds an additional challenge.
As you get more advanced, try putting a book or something on your back and transporting it from A to B without it dropping it.
The main benefits of this exercise are improved coordination, improved muscle synchronicity (the right muscles switching on at the right times), core stability and can be useful for improving conditioning
The Naked Turkish Get Up
What the naked turkish get up looks like
The Turkish get up a probably the most technical of the exercises. Dan John explains it well in the video. The Naked Turkish get up is actually harder to do that the traditional get up with a kettlebell. This is especially the case if you are using your shoe or even a half full plastic cup of water. On a side note, for some reason the weight of a kettlebell allows the shoulder to be more stable and is easier to move around. The shoe or cup of water is much less forgiving.
This is a such a great exercise is because it requires the whole body to coordinate, stabilize and move around the object being held above you. It requires an awful lot of mental focus and has been likened to meditation as you really can just focus on one thing. Should you get distracted you will be wearing your shoe on your face.
Some of the benefits include, hip mobility, shoulder stability, core stability and improved coordination.
The Resting Squat Position
What the resting squat position looks like
The video above shows Ido Portal (who is a serious athlete btw), going through some sitting squat exercises. Having done these myself I can't tell you how good your back and hips feel after this. For those reading with any back pain, have a go if you can.
Just hanging out in that squat position is a great starting point. It's great for our digestive system (something to do with the way we are positioned anatomically), and its creates a stretch that helps resets the fascia/ connective tissue in the body. This is especially the case if we have been sitting in a chair for too long. (Like most of us reading this).
The resting squat can be a real pain in the arse at first. It looks simple, but is very painful. Ankle mobility will play a big part in helping you squat as low as in the video. A good staring point is the supported squat. To help you ease into the position, try holding onto a bed post or the edge of a table and use it to pull back and support yourself whilst you are in the bottom position.
Aim to hold it for 30 seconds, and build up in increments until you can do 5-10 minutes. If you can manage to total 30 minutes in this position throughout the day, your back will thank you for it.
The main benefits of the resting squat position are that is loosens tight hips and back and can be done literally anywhere in the world...although saying that you might want to check yourself before doing it on the London Underground.
Yours in health
Patrick Fallis
Founder of Leaner
www.leaner-uk.com