Southern Mail senior reporter ROSHAN ABRAHAMS, who is also a qualified personal trainer, has launched a fitness and health column, Fit Foundations, to help you kickstart your fitness journey. In part three this week, she focuses on squats.
We may not be aware of this but we have perfected the squat since we were babies. Unfortunately, as we got older our squat form went from perfect to terrible, all because we sit in unnatural positions all day.
If we think back, we used to often find ourselves in squat positions as toddlers and naturally went down into deep squats with those flexible hips, but as we age we acquired habits of sitting long hours at desks, hunched over a computer, and we do not take breaks to stretch our muscles.
However, before we do any exercise, we need to do a proper warm-up for two to three minutes, up to five minutes. Warm ups include walking on the spot, arm circles, high knees and hip rotations. Warming up before exercising is essential for warming up your muscles. This increase in blood flow will help your body move easier and to perform a full range of motion (the measurement of movement around a specific joint or body part).
We should also look at squat injuries and maintaining proper form and working on exercise technique will lower the risk of injuries.
Breathing is another important aspect of exercise. In the squat, you should inhale just before you begin to lower down, and exhale as you extend your legs back to the starting position.
Squats will help strengthen your bones, your muscles and can also increase flexibility.
So, which muscles do we use in a squat?
Squats are a compound movement that recruits most of our muscles – this means it’s a movement that uses multiple muscle groups and joints, such as hip and knee joints, to complete.
The muscles used in a squat are:
Quadriceps: This is the muscle group in front of the thigh that extends the knee.
Hamstrings: Located on the back of the thigh, hamstrings help you flex the knee.
Glutes: These are the largest muscle group in your body and their primary job is to extend your hips and are mainly used to push you back upward during the squat.
Calves: The calves help keep your feet stable by controlling the movement in your lower legs.
Lower back: Also known as the lumbar spine, your lower back helps keep your torso. Proper form comes from this muscle group.
Core: Your core is the entire front side, abdominals and back side thoracic spine (located in the centre of your upper and middle back). The core muscles provide a solid foundation and act as your centre of gravity while squatting.
When I was introduced to the squat, I realised my hips were not flexible and squatting was challenging. However, I did not stop doing it. There is no quick fix to get results. All you need is to be consistent, enjoy the movement and over time it will become second nature.
The squat
Position your feet slightly wider than your hips while keeping your heels and your toes flat on the floor.
Push your hips back before you bend your knees, with chest up and shoulders back. Then slowly move in a sitting position. Hold it for a few seconds then straighten your legs to stand.
The deep squat
The deep squat requires more flexibility over time but it will improve hip and ankle mobility, and prevent pain or injury in your spine and knees. Go down deep and hold before standing up.
The chair squat for beginners
Using a chair to assist in perfecting the squat will help beginners. For a bit more support, try sitting down to rest after each rep. You can pause for just a moment or give yourself a few seconds of rest if you need it before you start on your next rep.
To check out the step-by-step video on how to do a squat, visit https://www.southernmail.co.za
You will also find previous columns and videos on the website.
Previous columns
It’s never too late to start your fitness journey
• If you have questions or suggestions, email: roshan.abrahams@acm.co.za
