You may have seen people on TikTok trying out the "shrimp challenge," a tough lower-body balance, strength, and mobility test, making rounds on the platform. It's not your everyday challenge. It's a tough movement that involves performing a "shrimp squat" on one leg while holding the opposite foot close behind you near your bum. Many people struggle (often with hilarious results) to perform the movement, which requires a lot of stability and control.
Having
good balance and stability is crucial for improving exercise performance and preventing injuries and joint pain. If you're curious about your own abilities, try the shrimp challenge for yourself to see how you fare. But if you can't do it, there are plenty of other ways to test your balance and even more ways to improve it.
What is the Shrimp Squat Challenge?
The shrimp squat challenge first gained attention in 2022 but has more recently grown in popularity, particularly after physical therapists posted a video that made it look nearly effortless. Once fitfluencers ranging from basketball players to ballet dancers and regular people began posting attempts at the challenge, it took off—but not necessarily for the reasons you may think.
In fact, only a few of the fit-elites are actually able to accomplish the shrimp squat challenge. Turns out,
balance can be tricky, even for strength athletes, ballerinas and other athletes. The challenge tests the strength and
mobility of your hips, knees and ankles, especially the glutes and quad muscles.
To master this movement, you need strong muscles and good joint mobility. Engaging your muscles while also stretching them is more challenging than you'd expect. In this case, while you squat and return to standing, your standing leg is in a demanding position that requires a lot of physical strength. At the same time, you are stretching the opposite leg and keeping it stretched while returning to a standing position.
How to do the shrimp squat challenge:
- Start by kneeling with one leg bent at a 90-degree angle in front of you and the other leg kneeling on the floor behind you.
- Hold the foot of your back leg and lift it toward your buttocks as if you are doing a quad stretch.
- While holding your back foot, lean forward slightly and press into your front foot to stand up. Keep your back foot bent behind you.
Keep in mind that part of the reason the shrimp challenge is so popular is because of its difficulty, so if you can't do it, don't be too concerned. It's a highly advanced move and certainly
not the only measure of balance, strength or mobility. However, if you're able to complete the shrimp, you're likely quite strong and mobile, with good body awareness, which is a promising sign for healthy, injury-free daily living and aging.
Other ways to test your balance
Balance requires three systems: vision, proprioception (body awareness) and the vestibular system (inner ear). Issues with balance can be due to one or a combination of deficits in these areas. Tests can help reveal what your particular issues may be.
Here are some other ways you can test your balance. Be aware that performing balance tests can lead to a fall, so be sure you have a helper and are in a safe space.
The Romberg Test
This test includes four different balance positions and is a very useful tool, albeit a bit tricky to attempt on your own. It is a helpful way of determining where your potential balance issues may stem from. Use some foam, a balance pad, or a pillow for an unstable surface when performing this test. Aim for a minimum of 30 seconds in each position.
- Stand on a firm surface with your feet together and your eyes open.
- Stand on a firm surface with your eyes closed.
- Stand on an unstable surface with your feet together and your eyes open.
- Stand on an unstable surface with your eyes closed.
Sharpened Romberg Test
This is a more challenging version of the original test.
- Stand with one foot directly in front of the other, heel to toe, with your eyes open. Cross your arms over your chest with one open palm on the opposite shoulder. Aim to distribute your weight evenly over both feet, keeping your chin parallel to the floor.
- Repeat but with your eyes closed.
Interpreting results:
- If you have adequate balance, you should be able to do each of the 4 positions for 30 seconds with little difficulty.
- If the first and easiest position is a challenge, you likely have more than one balance issue.
- If the first position is relatively easy but the second one is tricky, you may rely too much on vision and struggle with proprioception and the vestibular system.
- If you can master the first two positions but the third throws you off, your proprioception and possibly vestibular system could be the problem.
- If the fourth position is the only challenge for you, a vestibular system deficit is likely the cause of any balance issues.
The Unipedal Stance Test
This test is a static balance assessment protocol that personal trainers use to help uncover any balance issues that clients may need to work on. It's a timed test that needs a 10-foot by 10-foot space with firm flooring.
- Stand barefoot with your arms folded across your chest, lift your nondominant foot, and focus on a point on the wall. You can also try this test with your eyes closed.
- The test ends if one of these occurs: you open your eyes (in the eyes-closed version), move your dominant foot, your nondominant foot touches the floor, or after 45 seconds.
Interpreting results:
Below are the "normal" or ideal average times people should be able to hold each position based on age, sex, and test type.
How to improve your balance and stability
Practicing the shrimp squat challenge itself, or performing it consistently if you can already manage it, is a great way of improving your balance and stability. Mastering the shrimp challenge demonstrates strong glutes and quads, along with good mobility in the
hip flexors, knees and ankles.
It's also a convenient and fun way to build full-body
awareness and function while also revealing areas of improvement. It's definitely challenging, but it's worth practicing since it builds strength, balance, stability, mobility and flexibility in one move.
Here are some other ways to improve your balance and stability:
Maintaining good posture:
Good posture aligns your body and increases stability. If maintaining good posture is difficult for you, it might be due to poor mobility. To improve your balance, keep your spine neutral and your head, shoulders and hips aligned. A regular mobility routine can help counter the effects of activities like sitting for long periods or working at a desk.
Unilateral training: Other strength exercises that focus on
one leg at a time, such as split squats, Bulgarian split squats, single-leg squats and forward or reverse lunges, can also help you achieve similar strength and mobility gains. Accomplishing a single-leg squat will build balance and coordination for performing everyday activities and will help prevent falls.
Core training: Building a strong core is
important for balance since core muscles provide stability and support for the whole body and assist with weight transfer from one leg to the other, which is crucial for navigating uneven terrain.
Exercises that strengthen the core and improve balance include
planks, bridges, abdominal curls, bird dogs, dead bugs, Pallof press, and lying leg raises, among others.
Balance-training movement: Movement styles that require balance,
such as Tai Chi and
yoga, are excellent methods of
improving balance and coordination. The slow and deliberate movements of Tai Chi increase strength and improve your sense of balance since you have to shift your weight back and forth. Eventually, your body becomes better at maintaining balance in different positions during everyday activities.
Lastly, if you are concerned about your balance due to these tests or trouble with coordination and stability, discuss them with a trainer,
physical therapist, or other health care provider.
