A Complete Guide To The Duck Walk Exercise

You might be inclined to laugh the first time you witness someone executing a duck walk exercise around the gym. However, keep in mind that this exercise is really a fantastic choice for anyone trying to improve their squat technique.

It is a physical exercise designed to tone the lower belly, quadriceps, glutes, calves, buttocks, and thighs. This is achieved by building muscular mass through the constant contraction that goes on while duck walking.

The duck walk exercise is special in that it is simple to learn but requires strength and endurance in order to reap the rewards of the exercise. This exercise requires flexibility in the ankles, knees, and hips. As well as proper posture, core strength, and power in all the major lower body muscle groups.

This exercise has been known to help with weight loss as well as benefit women going through pregnancy.

We hope to give you a better understanding of this unique but effective exercise by answering these core questions;

What Is The Duck Walk Exercise?
How To Perform The Duck Walk Exercise
What Muscles Does It Target?
Is Duck Walk Good For Weight Loss?

 

What Is The Duck Walk Exercise?

The duck walking exercise is focused on the eccentric movement of the squat. In most conventional exercises, the muscles contract concentrically and eccentrically. The downward portion of a squat is known as the eccentric contraction.

You’d probably be injured if you just dropped into a squat without any control. This is why it is important to strengthen the eccentric movements as well.

By strengthening the eccentric (downward) phase of the squat you will inherently increase strength to the concentric (upward) phase of the squat.

Depending on how you include it into your workout, the duck walk may serve as a strength exercise, a cardiovascular exercise, or both. Much like the other exercises of a similar nature, such as bear crawls, crab walks, and even lunges.

This exercise is actually recommended for pregnant women as well. It strengthens the thigh muscles, making them stronger and lessening labor pains. It may also be used as a Kegel exercise to strengthen the pelvic floor muscle, which is necessary for carrying a pregnancy.

 

How To Perform The Duck Walk Exercise

Basically, you must begin in this deep squat position to do the duck walk exercise. Instead of repeatedly switching between the standing and squatting postures, it offers you the chance to improve your posture and form at the bottom end of the squat.

Here is a quick step by step to performing the duck walk;

1. To accomplish this, squat down as if you are sitting in a chair. The knee should be bent at a 90-degree angle. You might start off by squatting in a slightly raised position while your flexibility develops.
2. To prevent discomfort in the area of your upper hips, try to keep your spine as straight as you can.
3. Try to keep your thighs parallel to the ground.
4. Your arms should be extended forwards.
5. For the best results from the duck walk exercise, keep your chest up.
6. Maintain a straight, relaxed neck at all times.
7. Keep your abs strong and taut.
8. Put your right foot forwards first, then your left. You go in this manner, taking around 10 steps before simultaneously going backward.

The exercise won’t be comfortable for everyone, but duck walks can be a great approach for someone who has trouble with deep squats to build eccentric power, flexibility, and control to enhance the squat.

You should ease into the action or avoid it entirely if you have ongoing ankle, knee, or hip discomfort. You don’t want to worsen problems in those places further because this workout may put those areas under a lot of mechanical stress.

 

What Muscles Does The Duck Walk Target?

As mentioned before this workout involves every muscle in your lower body as well as your core.
It mainly targets your thighs and glutes as you sit in a deep squat position for the entire duration of the exercise. Don’t forget you are having to engage the core as well to keep your upper body stable and hold a proper posture.
Other muscles targeted during the duck walk exercises are the calves, pelvic muscles, hips, and lower back all used to move you forward as well as keep you stable.

On top of strengthening your muscles, it will increase your flexibility. Being in that deep squat position while walking forward and backward will increase the mobility of your ankles and hips. This increase in mobility and flexibility will greatly benefit you in performing various other workouts as well as in your daily life.

 

Is Duck Walk Good For Weight Loss?

A duck walk works every muscle in the body. Although it has little impact, the workout is really intense. The duck walk exercise contracts the muscles that contribute to tightening and toning the abdominal muscles. This exercise concentrates a lot on the lower abdomen, resulting in a flatter stomach.

The duck walk exercise is excellent for cardio and boosting muscular endurance as well. When you perform a duck walk, your heart rate goes up significantly, which boosts your body’s oxygen levels and keeps you feeling energized.

If you carefully follow the instructions, you will see that you are maintaining the squat position while utilizing your lower leg to drive yourself forwards. Your thighs and calves work quite hard during this move. Resulting in toned thighs and calves while strengthening your ankles. Resulting in fewer cramps or sprains.

Muscle stiffness can be quite problematic. There is no better way to solve the issue than to perform the duck walk exercise. The purpose of this exercise is to restore mobility to the lower body, which is where you experience the most muscular tightness.

All of this means that the duck walk exercise is a great way to burn some fat while gaining strength and keeping your body healthy enough to continue going back to the gym!