Treadmill Bear Crawl: Technique, Safety and Progressions

Published: 21 Dec 2017
Last updated: 6 September 2026

The Treadmill Bear Crawl is a variation of the standard Bear Crawl performed on a moving treadmill belt. Crawling on the hands and feet is a form of quadrupedal movement, meaning movement using all four limbs. The Treadmill Bear Crawl increases the coordination, trunk control, and timing demands of quadrupedal movement while adding an unconventional gym-based challenge.

This variation is best suited to people who are already comfortable performing Bear Crawls on the floor.

In the Primal Play Method®, the treadmill changes the environment and introduces a new movement problem to solve. Speed, incline and duration can all be adjusted to change the challenge.

How do you do a Treadmill Bear Crawl?

Start with a standard Bear Crawl on the floor and make sure you can maintain control before using a treadmill.
Set the treadmill to a very slow speed, around 1 mph or 1.5 km/h.
Position your hands on the belt and keep your knees raised just above the surface.
Keep the trunk engaged and limit excessive side-to-side rotation.
Match your hand and foot movement to the belt speed rather than trying to move faster than the treadmill.
Use short bouts at first and stop if you lose control of your position.
Progress gradually by changing only one variable at a time, such as speed, incline or duration.

Is the Treadmill Bear Crawl safe?

It is a more advanced Bear Crawl variation because the moving belt reduces your margin for error. Start slowly, use a treadmill with an accessible emergency stop, keep the area around the machine clear, and stop if you cannot maintain control.

People with wrist, shoulder, knee, hip or back pain may need a different variation. Stop if the movement causes pain or if you cannot maintain control of your position.

Who should modify or avoid the Treadmill Bear Crawl?

People who cannot yet perform a controlled floor-based Bear Crawl, or who have pain aggravated by weight-bearing through the hands, shoulders, knees, hips or spine, should use an easier variation or seek appropriate professional guidance.

Treadmill Bear Crawl Demonstration

Watch Darryl Edwards demonstrate the Treadmill Bear Crawl and the controlled rhythm needed to match the moving belt.

Watch Darryl Edwards demonstrate the Treadmill Bear Crawl, an unconventional Primal Play movement that adds timing, coordination and control to the standard Bear Crawl.

How can you make the Treadmill Bear Crawl harder?

Increase the challenge gradually by adjusting one variable at a time:

Speed
Incline
Duration
Backward crawling
Additional resistance, such as a weighted vest, for experienced participants
Short intervals with controlled recovery

How can you make it easier?

Practise the Bear Crawl on the floor first. You can also reduce the treadmill speed, shorten the duration or use a knee-supported crawl before progressing to the full version.

What does the Treadmill Bear Crawl train?

The movement challenges upper- and lower-body muscular endurance, trunk control, coordination and timing. The cardiovascular demand increases as speed and duration increase.

What MUSCLES DOES the Treadmill Bear Crawl WORK?

The movement can challenge the shoulders, chest, triceps, trunk, glutes, quadriceps and hip flexors.

Is the Treadmill Bear Crawl harder than a normal Bear Crawl?

It can be, because the moving belt changes the timing and coordination demands. The difficulty depends on treadmill speed, incline, duration and the person’s experience with floor-based Bear Crawls.