More than half of an average person's day is spent sitting — from watching television to working at a computer — and that time tends to increase as you age and become less active.
All that sitting can have a profound impact on one's health, too. In fact, a study in the Oct. 3, 2017, Annals of Internal Medicine, involving almost 8,000 adults ages 45 and older, found a direct relationship between time spent sitting and a higher risk of early death. Being more active is the best antidote to excessive sitting, but a sedentary lifestyle can make it hard to be more active since it leads to weaker muscles and stiffer joints. One of the best exercises to counter the effects of sitting and help you get moving? The simple squat. Squats are a great exercise because they activate so many bones and joints at once, such as the hips, knees, feet, and ankles, as well as muscles like the quads, gluteals, hip flexors, hamstrings, and calves. Squats can help you build and maintain a stronger lower body, which makes movement easier and allows you to stay active. Squats also are one of the most functional movements, since they mimic so many daily actions, like standing, sitting, and getting in and out of a car.
The squat is the foundation for many things we do when exercising. Getting your form down will set you up for success with your lifts and other things you attempt that stem from the squat! ▪️▪️Here is a drill that can help you correct that squat form!!▪️▪️ 🔹Start with the feet about shoulder width apart and chair or exercise ball behind you 🔹Keep your head up, looking slightly above parallel. 🔹Do not look down at all; ground is in the peripheral vision only. 🔹Accentuate the normal arch of the lumbar curve and then pull the excess arch out with the abs. 🔹Keep the midsection very tight. 🔹Slowly send your butt back and down. 🔹 Your knees track over the line of the foot. 🔹Do not let the knees roll inside the foot. Push those knees out! Keep as much pressure on the heels as possible. 🔹Stay off the balls of your feet 🔹Lift your arms out and up as you descend. 🔹Keep your torso elongated. 🔹DO NOT TOUCH THE WALL IN FRONT OF YOU. It is there to guide you and help keep your form. 🔹Once your bottom touches the ball or chair, begin to rise! 🔹 Squeeze the glutes & hamstrings and rise without any leaning forward or shifting of balance. . Yes... your lower back muscles with feel on fire!
Disclaimer: Before starting any new exercise routine check with your doctor or personal trainer. If you are currently under treatment ask Dr. Parks if this is the right exercise for you.
