Let’s talk everything squats.
Squats are a functional movement pattern that is used throughout life, including for all kinds of everyday activities: picking things up off the floor, getting on and off the toilet or couch, picking up kids, and many more things. Doing squats as part of your workout makes this movement pattern more efficient and increases the ease in which our bodies move through the pattern.
First, learning the proper technique for squats is important to ensure safety and the proper movement pattern; for example, it is important to let your knees move over your toes, as not letting your knees move over your toes increases the strain on your back. Becoming stronger at squats also strengthens the rest of your body (quads, core, back, hamstrings, and upper back), which will decrease the likelihood of injury with daily activities that involve squats, overuse injuries, and injuries in general. That said, injuries do occur in life, and being stronger tends to lead to a quicker recovery.
Second, once you have mastered the squat pattern technique, the goal then becomes to squat heavier weight through your full range of motion. As you get stronger, the squats performed with daily activity will become less difficult, and you will be able to function in daily activities with less effort. For example, you will be able to safely pick up kids for longer as they grow, more easily use the toilet and get up off the couch without assistance, and more readily stand up from sitting when carrying/holding anything in your hands.
Thirdly, increased comfort and increased strength with squatting can help decrease the fear of falling, which tends to increase as you age. If you do fall and are stronger, you are less likely to break any bones and more likely to be able to get up off the floor by yourself. By being stronger, you can improve you balance.
In addition to the direct functional benefits of adding squats to your workout, performing heavier squats can lead to positive anabolic adaptations that are protective against joint degeneration. Moreover, heavy squats lead to increased bone density and improved bone health, which decrease the risk of hip and femur fractures, the two leading causes of frailty and mortality as we age.
Squatting is very important! The more weight you can squat, the more benefits you will get from this exercise; adding weight to squats can look like holding increasingly heavier dumbbells or kettlebells in front of you at your chest or down by your sides or using a barbell with increasing weight on the front of your shoulders or on your upper back.
Contact E3 Physio today to let us help you with your squats and keep you doing the activities you enjoy for longer.
