Among the various types of exercises available, squats are common and quite simple to get started with. It has tons of useful benefits when properly done, which include strengthening of leg muscle, knee joints and lower back, fat burning, enhanced flexibility of the lower body, and much more. Even though it is a simple exercise, people often fail to implement the correct form, which can lead to various injuries and an overall painful experience.
So, follow these steps to properly learn the correct way to perform squats and enhance your overall workout routine.
- The Stance
The primary step towards achieving the proper way to do squats is assuming the correct stance. Get to the general form and make sure to keep your feet apart at a width of your shoulder length. Instead of pointing straight ahead, you can position your feet anywhere between 5 to 30 degrees. Now, stand straight and rest your hands on your hips for the moment.
- Lift Your Chest
While standing straight up, give your shoulders a mild pull back and keep your chest up. Take a deep breath and tuck your navel to the back slightly at exhale. This will keep your pelvis and spine stable by engaging those deep abdominal muscles. Avoid getting your shoulders rounded up as it can increase the stress on your spine and cause you unnecessary pain.
- The Motion – Lower Down
After assuming the correct pose and tightening your muscles, you can begin with the motion of lowering down. To do so, bend your knees like you are going to sit down on a wooden stool, all while hoisting your upper body straight. It is natural for your torso to tilt a bit forward, just make sure that you do not round your shoulders or cave in your chest. To properly allow your hips to release, you will have to adjust accordingly to your body as being too upright can put a strain on your knees. Make sure to inhale while squatting down and you can go as low as you are comfortable with. For scaling purposes, keep a minimum of a 90-degree angle, with your thighs being parallel to the ground.
- The Motion – Lift Back Up
After squatting down, when you reach the parallel, make sure to take a minor pause before getting back up. Maintain the same tension on your legs and put the effort into rising up instead of using momentum. When you rise back up, keep your feet grounded to the floor, do not break the form and reach a standing posture. Be very careful to not lock your knees when assuming the standing posture.
- Repeat
With step 4, a complete squat cycle concludes and you can repeat the whole procedure for the following squats as there are no variations that you need to implement. The general guideline of squats suggests a repetition of three sets, with each having 10 to 15 reps. You can take 30 to 90 seconds of rest in between each set for peak results and better efficiency.
Conclusion:
Squats are a very common form of exercise that you can see in the daily workout routine of various fitness enthusiasts. Even though it might look simple, people often make common mistakes in implementing the correct format, which can give rise to plenty of unnecessary issues. You can thus follow the steps, as mentioned in this article, to learn how to do squats correctly and enjoy a much more effective workout session.
