How to do mountain climbers: a Hinge Health guide

Key takeaways:

1. Mountain climbers combine cardio and whole-body strength, great for building endurance, stability, and supporting heart health.

2. This movement engages many major muscle groups — including your core, legs, glutes, arms, and shoulders — helping with balance, posture, and everyday activities like climbing stairs and lifting.

3. There are a few simple ways to modify the mountain climber to make it easier or more challenging (see videos below).

Hinge Health offers virtual physical therapy and more to help you incorporate exercises like mountain climbers into your routine. Learn more.

Cardio and whole-body strength training in one exercise? Yup. That’s what mountain climbers can do for you. 

Mountain climbers are like a moving plank: You start in a raised push-up position and hop your feet forward, one at a time, toward your chest. It’s that motion that gives you a great cardio workout that burns calories and promotes heart health. Mountain climbers also work the major muscles in your body that support countless activities, from climbing steps and boosting yourself out of a chair to playing fetch with your dog. 

Read on to learn how to do mountain climbers and how to modify them to meet your needs. Plus get additional tips from Hinge Health physical therapists.

Muscles worked with mountain climbers 

Here’s a rundown of the primary muscle groups that mountain climbers work. What we love about this move is that it strengthens your entire body — so it’s about as close to a one-and-done exercise as you can get. 

• Pectorals (aka your chest muscles) move and rotate your arms at the shoulder joint. 

• Deltoids. These muscles cap your shoulders and work with your rotator cuff muscles to stabilize your shoulder joints and allow you to freely move your arms. 

• Triceps. These are the muscles on the back of your upper arms. They’re important for helping you push your body up.  

• Hip flexors. These muscles help you flex at the hip (thus the name) when you walk and do other activities that require lifting your legs. 

• Glutes. The three different muscles in your butt (the gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius) help you extend and raise your legs out to the sides. 

• Quadriceps. This powerful thigh muscle is one of the largest muscles in your body. You can thank them for enabling you to walk, run, jump, squat down and — well, the list goes on.

• Rectus abdominis. This sheet of muscle — often called the "six-pack" muscle — spans the front of your abdomen and allows you to do things like flex forward at the waist.

• Transverse abdominis. Located underneath your rectus abdominis, this muscle runs parallel to your pelvis and wraps around your midsection to your back — acting like a corset, keeping your core tight and strong, and protecting your internal organs. 

• Erector spinae. These muscles run along either side of your spine, and help with back extension, rotation, and stabilization. They’re some of the most powerful muscles in your back.

How to do mountain climbers: exercises and modifications

To do mountain climbers:

• Start on your hands and knees with your arms straight and hands placed directly under your shoulders. 

• Extend your legs back behind you, supporting your body on your hands and toes. Your body should form a straight line from the back of your head to your heels (like a regular, raised push-up position or plank). 

• From here, hop one foot toward your chest, and then quickly switch legs, as if you’re running. Try not to let your hips hike up as you move. 

• Maintain that plank position as you continue to alternate legs. 

As you do each rep, you might feel your core, shoulder, and arm muscles working, as well as your butt, thighs, and hips.

Everyone is different, which is why you may need to modify this exercise to meet your needs.

To make mountain climbers easier:  

• Start on your hands and knees. Start on your hands and knees, rather than a raised push-up position. Then bring your knees, one at a time, toward your chest, returning your knee to the floor between each repetition. 

• Step, instead of jump. Rather than jumping to switch legs, step one foot forward, then step it back, and repeat with the other leg. 

• Elevate your hands. Place your hands on an elevated surface, like a sturdy bench or step. This reduces the load on your arms and core, making the exercise less intense than starting from the floor.

• Reduce your range of motion. Instead of bringing your knee all the way to your chest, only bring it halfway or as far as is comfortable. 

To make mountain climbers harder: 

• Use a resistance band. Place a looped resistance band just above your knees, then move one leg toward your chest to stretch the band. 

• Pick up the pace. Do the movement at a faster pace to increase the cardio intensity. This will also challenge your core and legs to move quickly and efficiently.

• Do cross-body mountain climbers. Instead of driving your knee straight toward your chest, bring it across your body toward your opposite elbow. This engages your obliques and adds an extra core twist to the movement.

• Add a push-up. Every few knee drives, add a push-up. This engages your chest, shoulders, and triceps while keeping your core working as you transition between movements.

• Add a plank jack. In between knee drives, perform a plank jack by jumping your feet out to the sides and then back in, keeping your hands grounded in a plank position. This increases both cardio and core engagement.

• Elevate your feet. Place your feet on a slightly elevated surface, such as a low step or bench, with your hands on the ground. The incline shifts more weight onto your arms and core, making it more challenging to keep stable while moving.

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Benefits of mountain climbers

Here are some of the perks of this do-it-all move:

• Strengthens all of your major muscle groups, especially your core. 

• Builds balance and stability. Mountain climbers are a functional movement that may reduce the risk of falls and injury. 

• Encourages a comfortable posture. Forget what you’ve heard for so long about needing to stand up straight. “Perfect” posture is a myth. But working your core can help you find positions that feel good and are more ergonomic — taking some of the strain off of your muscles and joints in places like your legs, back, and upper body.

• Makes pushing and pulling movements easier. This could be any activity from pushing your grandkid’s stroller to weeding your garden. 

• Reduces back pain. Although lack of core strength isn’t necessarily a cause of back pain, studies show that strengthening your core can help lessen back pain. 

‘Mistakes’ when practicing mountain climbers

Many people believe that exercises like mountain climbers need to be done in a specific way to avoid injury, but there’s actually flexibility in how movements can be performed. Rather than focusing on achieving a “perfect” form, it’s helpful to find what feels best for your body and goals. Mountain climbers are a dynamic exercise that can be adapted to suit individual needs and fitness levels. 

Here are a few common adjustments to keep in mind, which can help you feel stronger and more comfortable in this movement. 

• Bouncing on your toes. Some people find themselves bouncing on their toes as they drive their knees forward. This can add extra impact, especially for beginners, which might make it harder to keep the movement controlled. To adjust, focus on moving with smooth, intentional steps, almost as if you’re gliding your knees forward rather than bouncing. This engages your core and minimizes strain on your ankles.

• Weight shifting backward. Shifting your weight backward can reduce some of the pressure on your arms and core, but it can also make it tougher to maintain balance and stability. A helpful adjustment here is to keep your shoulders directly over your wrists and imagine pressing slightly forward. This keeps your core engaged and distributes your weight more evenly, making each knee drive smoother.

• Rounding your back. Some rounding in your back is natural, especially as you start to fatigue. If you feel your back rounding excessively, try focusing on drawing your shoulders down and back, which supports a neutral spine position. Engaging your core helps to keep your torso steady, which can help you feel stronger and less strained throughout the movement.

How Hinge Health can help you

If you have pelvic pain or symptoms that are affecting your quality of life, you can get the relief you've been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References

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2. Quad Muscles: Function and Anatomy. (2022). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved from  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22816-quad-muscles

3. Smrcina, Z., et al. (2022). A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Core Stability Exercises in Patients with Non-Specific Low Back Pain. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, vol. 17, no. 5, 1. doi:10.26603/001c.37251

4. Da Silva-Grigoletto, M. E., et al. (2019). Functional Training Induces Greater Variety and Magnitude of Training Improvements than Traditional Resistance Training in Elderly Women. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 789–797. PMCID: PMC6873136

5. Sherrington, C., et al. (2020). Evidence on Physical Activity and Falls Prevention for People Aged 65+ Years: Systematic Review to Inform the WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 17, no. 1. doi:10.1186/s12966-020-01041-3