01/11/2022
THE SQUAT:
As promised to raise awareness this New Year on movement and exercise competency I am posting the first installment, the squat.
One of the most basic and fundamental of movements that we perform everyday. You may not realize but squatting isn’t solely a gym activity. It’s embedded in our daily lives every time we rise or descend into/out of a chair or navigate the 🚽
Think about how many times a day you get up or sit down. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how to perform it properly?
Background/explanation:
Squatting is a compound exercise or movement that uses multiple muscle groups and joints working in unison with one another. The three main joints flexing during a squat are the hips, knees and ankles. Issues such as lack of ROM or movement in any of these areas will cause the other joints to compensate (leading to pain/injury). This compensation can also translate into the spine which is meant to stay primarily neutral throughout the movement. The appearance of the trunk translating forward is directly related to the Hip Flexion occurring during the movement.
Biomechanics:
See snap shots for a visual both in the lateral and anterior views.
1. Keep trunk upright and spine in neutral alignment.
2. Set feet between hips and shoulder width apart.
3. Slowly lower your body down as you initiate the squat at the hip followed by the knees.
4. Keep your core tight by filling your abdomen with air and pushing your belly button towards your spine.
5. Drive your hips behind you to allow for the weight to be focused on your heels.
6. As you descend make sure your knees are aligned with your big toe and that your knees do not buckle inward.
7. Lower to roughly parallel with the floor or below as long as form is not lost.
8. Push up through your heels to return to starting position and exhale.
🚨Now despite all that cueing you still may not be able to achieve these positions properly due to lack of joint or soft tissue mobility in the hips, knees, ankles or low back.