Squat Exercise

Video Transcript

Squatting is a fundamental movement that we should all be able to do. Being able to perform squats will strengthen your legs, especially your large glute muscles, enabling you to play sports, climb stairs, and easily get up from the ground. I encourage you to focus on this exercise.

Keep your feet shoulder-width apart. If you have tightness in your hips, it’s okay to position them slightly wider. I’ll have my toes pointing outward slightly to deepen my squat. Maintain an upright posture. The most important aspect is to hinge at your hips.

I’ll demonstrate from this angle. By hinging from your hips, I mean pushing your hips backward, like this. If your calf muscles feel tight and restrict your squat, consider using a lacrosse ball to roll out your calves before starting.

Begin the squat by extending your arms in front of you to help deepen the movement. As you squat, push back as if you’re sitting on a chair or toilet. Ensure your knees don’t collapse inward but instead, drive them outward. As you squat down, extend your arms, and as you rise, pull them back in, squeezing your glutes at the top without performing a large hip thrust, as that can stress your back joints. It looks like this—and remember to exhale as you rise.

Here’s another angle: Take a deep breath in and exhale as you squat, pushing your hips back and driving your knees out, then inhale as you come up.

Aim for 12 reps in three sets daily to strengthen these muscles. If 12 reps feel easy, increase the number of reps or add weight by holding it close to your body, which will intensify the challenge. Alternatively, hold the squat at the bottom before rising to further challenge yourself.

This exercise is beneficial for everyday activities, whether it’s playing sports or interacting with your family, and it helps in pain relief as well.

Let me know how it goes. We’ll see you soon. Bye now.