Inchworm

• Warms up most of the body in one movement, which makes it useful before training when time is short.
• Combines a hamstring and calf stretch on the way down with a plank position at the bottom, so mobility and stability are trained together.
• The walkout into a plank challenges the core and shoulder stabilizers without needing any equipment.
• Cycling between a forward fold and a plank encourages movement through multiple joints after long periods of sitting, which many people find refreshing during the day.
• Easy to scale up by adding a push-up at the plank, or scale down by walking the hands a shorter distance.
• No equipment, no warm-up needed. Works at home, in a hotel room, or in a small office corner.

1. 01

   Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.

2. 02

   Hinge at the hips and reach down to place both hands on the floor in front of your feet. Bend the knees as much as needed to get there.

3. 03

   Walk your hands forward one at a time until you reach a high plank, hands under shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels.

4. 04

   Pause briefly in the plank. Keep the hips from sagging or piking.

5. 05

   Walk your hands back toward your feet one at a time.

6. 06

   Stand up slowly, stacking the spine and lifting the head last.

7. 07

   Repeat for 5 to 8 reps, breathing steadily throughout.

• Letting the hips sag in the plank position, which dumps load onto the lower back.
• Piking the hips up too high in the plank instead of holding a straight line.
• Walking the hands out by jumping or rushing instead of moving one hand at a time with control.
• Locking out the knees aggressively on the way down. A small knee bend is fine and often safer for tight hamstrings.
• Holding the breath. Breathe in on the way down and out on the way back up.

The Inchworm trains several areas in one flow. The hamstrings and calves are stretched on the forward fold. The shoulders, chest, and triceps support the walkout. In the plank position, the core, glutes, and shoulder stabilizers work to keep the body in a straight line. The spinal erectors and hip extensors get involved as you stand back up. Because the movement cycles through full-body positions, no single muscle group dominates, which is part of why it's useful as a warm-up.

• Deep Squat Hold

I added Inchworms to my routine because I wanted one movement that warmed up most of my body without a long warm-up plan. After a morning of sitting at the desk, my hamstrings feel stiff and my shoulders feel locked. A handful of slow Inchworms loosens both at the same time. I like that it doesn't need a mat or any equipment, and I can sneak in a couple of reps between meetings without changing clothes or breaking a sweat. When I have more time, I add a push-up at the bottom of each rep and it becomes a real mini-workout. Also, my daughter laughed a few times when I did this in front of her, so, that's another solid reason to keep it.