Squats: One exercise form you need to master

 I started to learn about various exercise forms when I was very young. I understood it very early that body weight exercises and functional training should become an integral part of our daily routine.

I am a kind of person who has never thought of getting a gym membership, my curiosity and enthusiasm for body training made me research for various exercise forms at the comfort of my home and thanks to internet I found a lot of information about so many exercise forms and routines just at the touch of my fingers.

I taught myself almost every kind of exercise forms and workout routine through daily practice.

I learnt high intensity interval training, Yoga, body weight and functional training, resistance training, cardio kickboxing.

The only thing I couldn’t learn at home was swimming for which I had to step out and take its proper classes.

Hence I can positively say with my several years of experience that one of the best exercise forms which have proved its amazing results physically as well as mentally has always been squats and its different variations.

Indeed squats do shape your butts but it also has other benefits than just providing you with that nice looking silhouette!

Let’s enlist few of the benefits of squats:

1)   It stimulates the production of Human Growth Hormone, upon increase muscle needs.

2)   It just not works on your glutes but also engages your quadriceps, abdominal muscles, back muscles, shoulders and calves making it a compound exercise form.

3)   It improves balance and co-ordination.

4)   It improves posture and provides stability to the joints.

5)   It helps in increasing muscles density and decreases the chance of osteoarthritis.

6)   It helps in burning fat for hours post exercising and increases basal metabolic rate.

7)   If done correctly it supports ligaments, tendons and tissues and prevent injuries.

Squats has many variation forms such as

·       Sumo Squats

·       Goblet Squats

·       Narrow Squats

·       Squat Jumps

·       One Leg Squats

·       Plie Squats

·       Split Squats

·       Split Squats with dumbbells

·       Narrow squat with side/back/front kicks

·       Front/back squats

·       Adductor squats

·       Pistol squats

·       Malasana

The correct way to do a squat is to first make sure one doesn’t have any recent knee or leg injury or haven’t gone through any recent leg surgery.

For those who suffer from osteoarthritis should consult a physiotherapist first and perform under supervision.

 

How to do a basic squat?

•  Stand with your legs hip width apart
•  Extend both of your arms and hold your hands together
•  Don’t lock your knees (Don’t straighten or extend it completely, keep it slightly flexed)
•  Engage your core, shoulders and back muscles. Lower your body down (The idea is to go as deep as you can) with the help of pelvis while keeping your quadriceps engaged.
• Make sure to not let both of the knees move past your toes

•  Hold the position for 5 breaths
• Get back up in the first position with the help of quadriceps keeping your core, shoulders, back engaged and without locking your knees
• Repeat it several times or complete three sets of 8 reps each initially
• After gaining stability and control add variations to your squats

 

The best part about performing squats is that it can be done anywhere or any time just like any bodyweight training exercises.

Its a magical exercise for our mind, body and soul do it regularly and correctly to enjoy its results.

Happy Squatting!