Animal Flow – The Growing Trend And Its Benefits

“Animal Flow” is the name of the USA’s relatively new and unknown fitness trend. Movements inspired by the animal kingdom challenge almost every muscle group and make you fit! We will introduce you to this relatively new type of sport and reveal why the Animal Flow Workout strengthens your body and mind! You will also learn how a typical flow can be structured.

What Is Animal Flow?

The sport Animal Flow is a mixture of movements copied from the animal kingdom, peppered with elements from parkour training (the art of efficient locomotion) and some aspects from break dance and yoga.

At first, it takes a little getting used to when a human crawls like a lizard across the meadow in the park or imitates the movements of a scorpion on the ground. The sport is also a bit reminiscent of Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art in which only animal moves, i.e. the movements of different animals, are used to interact with the opponent in a combative manner.

What Do You Need For The Animal Flow Workout?

Animal Flow Training is based on bodyweight exercises. Therefore, you need strong arms and legs and healthy knees and wrists to practice this sports. However, no aids or devices are used. The workout takes place most of the time close to the ground and outside under the open sky. Here you have the space you need for animal moves.

Where Does The Hype About Animal Movement Come From?

He did a lot of bodyweight training, i.e. exercises with your body weight and functional training, until he copied movements from the animal kingdom and did practical exercises. The first training sessions took place in Miami in 2010.

This sport is trendy among people who want to be close to nature, as it can be practiced outside.

What Are The Benefits Of The Fitness Trend?

High Fun Factor

Animal Movement is incredibly fun! Due to the intuitive and almost playful movements, you don’t even notice how much you are exhausting yourself. In this way, coordination, mobility, strength and endurance are strengthened without consciously being aware. The effort is almost forgotten, and the fun is in the foreground.

Activation Of Many Muscle Groups

The movements and exercises in the Animal Flow Workout stimulate every muscle group and strengthen strength and endurance, flexibility, and stability.

Coordination And Body Awareness

The movements in Animal Flow strengthen your body perception and body awareness. In the beginning, the activities take some time and are a challenge, especially for newcomers. Still, with every new flow you learn, you gain more control over your own body and thus more self-confidence for everyday life.

Mental Toughness

Animal Moves not only train the body but also promote mental strength. On the one hand, this is because you are learning something new. That gives self-confidence. On the other hand, Animal Flow trains not only the body but also the memory. You will also become mentally fitter.

High Energy Consumption

Unfamiliar movements that you are not yet good at lead to higher energy consumption than movements you have always been able to coordinate. So if you want to increase your calorie consumption, Animal Flow is a good way.

Once you get into the flow, you will notice how good the training is. In contrast to strength exercises in the fitness center, where activities are carried out in isolation, several muscle groups are used simultaneously. In addition, the training is a lot of fun due to its intuitive and natural nature, and the mind is sharpened.

What Do The Animal Moves Look Like?

Typical animal moves can be crawling, rolling, crawling or even hopping. The movements are very natural and mostly start from the quadruped position. But standing activities or exercises on the knees also occur.

The animal moves or positions have names, such as crab, tiger, alligator, duck, scorpion, robber, monkey, frog or cobra.

How Is The Training Structured?

First, the hands and wrists are warmed up and prepared for the flow. It is essential because a large part of the training takes place on all fours, and, like in yoga, the wrists are constantly stressed.

Then there are so-called activation positions, which are intended to wake up the body. These include the “beast” and “the crab, ” two essential functions in Animal Flow. Awareness of one’s body is awakened, and the connection to the ground is established.

Next, you move through the different basic animal positions. The transitions between the positions make up the most significant part of the flow. These are dynamic movements that can be endlessly connected and lined up. Examples are the “under switch”, the “kick through”, or the “scorpion”.

Before you do a complete flow, you should practice each movement on your own and master it well.

Conclusion

Animal Flow is suitable for everyone with all fitness levels and previous knowledge. In a beginner’s course, you will first learn how to properly support your body weight on all fours and learn the basic positions of a simple flow. After that, you make progress at your own pace.

However, due to the comparatively high stress on the joints. Animal Flow is not recommended for people who are very overweight or have joint pain. As with other sports, you can talk to a doctor beforehand to find out if this workout could be something for you.