What’s the best strength-building exercise that many of us could be doing right now, but almost certainly aren’t?
Consult enough exercise scientists and the latest exercise research, and the answer is probably a resounding one: squats.
“For lower-body strength and flexibility, there’s probably no better exercise,” said Bryan Christensen, professor of biomechanics at the North Dakota State University in Fargowho studies resistance exercise.
The benefits are not limited to the lower body. “It really is a full-body workout,” he said. Silvio Rene Lorenzetti, the director of the Performance Sports division of the Swiss Federal Institute of Sport in Magglingen. “It requires core stability and trains the back.”
Some people worry that squats could compromise the knees and hips, but the exercise can actually help protect and improve the function of these and other joints, he said sassa durican exercise scientist at Kuwait, who has studied squats. The movement “helps maintain flexibility, stability and function” in the hips, knees and ankles, she said.
But perhaps most fundamentally, squats are key to living and aging well. “When we clean the house or plant a vegetable garden, we need to squat down,” Dr. Duric said. Ditto for getting in and out of chairs and getting down to toddler level for face-to-face play.
In essence, according to scientific summary 2014squats are “one of the most primary and critical foundational movements needed to improve athletic performance, reduce risk of injury, and support lifelong physical activity.”
The correct way to do a squat
Squatting is simple, portable and powerful. “You don’t need a gym,” said Dr. Christensen. Anywhere with a few feet of open space will work, whether it’s a living room, office, stairway, park, or closet. And the only equipment needed is your body weight.
If you’re new to squats, one of the safest and easiest ways to get started, Dr. Duric said, is with what’s commonly called a box squat, so called because it’s commonly done with an exercise box found in the gyms. But you can also do it at home, in which case he will use a chair, stool, bench or nightstand.
If you have lower-body disabilities or previous injuries, talk to your doctor first about whether squatting is recommended for you. “Be patient and pay attention to proper technique,” Dr. Duric said. “Don’t rush the squat.”
For a start
Step 1
Find a chair or box high enough so that when you sit on it, your thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep your core tight and your chest up, keeping your back straight.
Step 2
Place it a few meters from a wall. The straight lines on the wall can help align your body.
Step 3
Stand facing the wall, chair behind you, feet about four inches from the wall. Place your hands on your hips or stretch them out to the sides.
Step 4
Keep your heels flat on the ground. Slowly bend your knees, counting to five, lower until your buttocks gently touch the box. Try not to actually sit down. Get up from the box and straighten your legs for another count of five.
hold that shape
When you feel like your box squats are dialed in, you can ditch the box or chair and move into an independent bodyweight squat. But keep paying attention to your form. “Squats are a great exercise, great for both improving functional capacity and reducing risk of injury, as long as the exercise is done correctly,” he said. Brad Schoenfeldexercise science teacher at Lehman College in New York and an expert in weight training.
The keys to a safe and effective bodyweight squat for beginners, he and the other scientists agreed, are:
Step 1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and facing slightly outward, which is the easiest and most stable stance. Keeping your feet considerably wider or closer together or tilted too far in or out places potentially worrisome loads on your knees or hips.
Step 2
The head and spine should be in alignment, the chest up and the eyes looking straight ahead. Don’t round your back by hunching or arching it.
Step 3
Your knees should move roughly in line with your toes as you squat, neither turning out nor folding in, and not extending too far past the ends of your toes.
Step 4
Squat down as low as you can comfortably. Eventually aim for your thighs to be parallel to the ground. But at first, if you can’t go that low, that’s fine. It’s still a squat.
Within these guidelines, experiment to find the move that feels right for you. “There is no absolute best fit for everyone,” Dr. Schoenfeld said. “There are certain biomechanical principles that must be followed,” he continued, “but then a person must determine what is most comfortable for him or her.”
Progress to more challenging squats
When eventually squatting with your body weight stops being a challenge, you may want to pick up a dumbbell. “Over time, you’ll need to add strength” if you want to keep getting stronger, Dr. Schoenfeld said. Which brings us to cups and landmines.
“There are many variations of squats,” said Dr. Christensen. “The goblet squat is one of the most accessible.” An entry-level weighted squat involves holding a dumbbell or other weight close to your chest with both hands, like you’re cupping a cup, and squat down (maintaining good form). In a study I oversaw last year, goblet squats effectively targeted and strengthened the quads, which are the front muscles of our thighs. The effects were especially pronounced in women.
But they weren’t that good at working the hamstrings, the muscles at the back of our thighs. So, the study found, he was better off with landmine squats, named after the landmine machine in gyms (named, for no apparent reason, after the explosive device), which consists of a rotating bar set diagonally on a stand on the ground. In the gym, you load the desired weight onto the pole, grab the end with both hands, hold it close to your chest, lift it up, and then squat down. This movement engages both the quads and hamstrings, as well as other muscles in the lower body, Dr. Christensen’s study showed.
But don’t be intimidated by the squat-iverse. She knows how to squat. We all do. Movement is elemental and essential. “The squat mimics so many physiological tasks in our daily lives,” said Dr. Lorenzetti. So the “biggest mistake you can make” with squats, he concluded, “is not starting to squat.” – This article originally appeared on the New York Times
