Instead of wasting hours squatting weights in the gym or pounding miles of pavement in your running shoes, you could instead get all the benefits of a workout just by moving a little bit more like other animals.
Author
- Dan Gordon
Professor of Exercise Physiology, Anglia Ruskin University
"Quadrobics" is the internet's latest fitness trend. This unconventional training method involves using all four of your limbs during a workout. Proponents claim it's a highly beneficial form of exercise because of the large number of muscle groups that it uses. By running on all fours, muscles in the shoulders, upper and lower arms, as well as the legs, back and core are used.
Sounds good in theory but is it any more effective than your normal workout?
Although there's limited research on quadrobics, research does show that the greater the amount of muscle used in a workout, the more benefits your cardiovascular fitness and health will see.
For instance, research which has compared cycling and running has shown that running leads to greater cardiorespiratory fitness gains than cycling does. This is probably due to the different amounts of muscles each activity uses.
Cycling focuses mainly on the legs and lower body, while running is more of a whole-body exercise. Since running places demand on a greater number of muscles, this may explain why it leads to greater fitness gains.
Quadrobics, which apparently uses almost all of the major muscle groups , should therefore lead to greater gains than either running or cycling.
However, when one study compared quadrobics to a standard walking programme, quadrobics oddly did not seem to use more energy - despite spiking heart rate to a greater degree. This finding probably comes down to the fact that both activities use the same muscle groups, but just to varying degrees.
But while quadrobics does not necessarily appear to be better than walking, it may have other fitness benefits.
During a quadrobics workout, you might end up using different muscles than you would during a more conventional type of workout. For instance, compared to running, quadrobics would place a greater emphasis on the shoulder muscles, but would require less work from the calves.
This suggests that quadrobics may have potential benefits for flexibility and balance . One study looked at the effect of an eight-week quadrobics training plan in young people.
It found that compared to the control group (who did two 60-minute sessions of typical physical activity), the quadrobics group saw greater improvements in shoulder flexibility and balance .
Meanwhile, although quadrobics does work many of the body's muscles, there is currently no evidence to suggest it's more beneficial than weight training in improving strength.
But something that cannot be discounted is the novelty of this exercise. One of the appeals of quadrobics is the playfulness of the exercise . This could have positive effects on mood and help relieve stress.
A number of groups describe quadrobics as "animal flow training" as it encourages us to adopt animal poses and attitudes. Since many find going to the gym can become uninspiring and boring over time, quadrobics could offer a solution to this.
If you're looking to give quadrobics a try, two popular exercises are trotting and cantering .
In a trot lift your right hand and left leg at the same time, then your left hand and right leg. You will create a diagonal type of movement. While in a canter drive from the legs together and then land on your hands. This exercise can be done continuously or as repeated bouts of high intensity efforts, interspersed with periods of recovery.
For those new to the practice, it's best to start slow when walking on all fours before advancing to these exercises. This is because there may be a risk of injury with these types of movement as they place much of the impact force on the elbows and wrists.
The potential risk of fracture or sprain is even higher in older adults, who experience more fragile bones and joint immobility, and those taking certain prescription drugs - such as corticosteroids .
The fitness benefits of walking like an animal might not be any greater than those seen with more conventional exercises, but the novelty of quadrobics may provide an entrance point to health and fitness - especially for those who may find conventional workouts boring.
Dan Gordon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
