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Exercise library / Mountain Climbers

Mountain Climbers

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

A more challenging exercise. Make it a goal if you like. “Show alternatives” below lists easier steps toward it.

From a high plank, driving your knees toward your chest in turn. It raises your heart rate and trains your trunk.

Main focus
Power
Level
Building
Equipment
Bodyweight
Load
Your body weight
Stability
Free: you control the whole movement

Keep something steady within reach: a counter, wall or sturdy chair.

Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

Supportive shoes and a forgiving, non-slip surface.

How to do it

  1. Start in a high plank, hands under your shoulders, body in a straight line.
  2. Drive one knee toward your chest, then switch legs, as if running in place.
  3. Keep your hips low and your trunk braced. Breathe steadily.

How much

To start: Begin with a few short, easy sets of 3 to 5 repetitions with long rests, on a forgiving surface.

As it gets easier: Build slowly: add a repetition or a set no more than once a week. Stop each set while your form is still crisp.

How it should feel: Fast and crisp, never rushed or sloppy. You should finish every set feeling you could do more.

Make it easier

  • Put your hands on a bench or counter.
  • Step each foot in slowly instead of driving.

Make it harder

  • Move faster.
  • Use sliders under your feet.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Warm up well, and build the number of repetitions and the height slowly over weeks.
More safety notes
  • Land softly with your knees slightly bent.
  • Rest between sets. Stop as soon as your form fades or you feel tired.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • You feel pain in a foot, ankle, knee or hip when you land.
  • Your landing becomes heavy or uneven.

Other ways to do this movement

Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in

Where this comes from

General guidance on build-up, warm-up, breathing and listening to your body is from the NIA and the CDC. The steps were written by Fitafter50; the equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general practice and are approved as a set by the reviewer.

This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.