aThey say that Rukimedes had a revelation in the bathtub, jumped out of the bathtub and ran naked through the streets of Syracuse. Newton put an apple on his head. My serendipitous moment came one morning when I was trying to pick up dog poo on the street in South London. I was cold and stiff, and squatting down seemed like the hardest thing in the world. I realized that squatting was becoming painful and I needed to do something about it.
After all, a good squat trains and tests everything from balance to coordination to mobility. hips, knees, ankles. quadriceps, glutes, and calves. bones, tendons, muscles. If you don’t squat, you’ll be pretty full. Laura KammelThe Georgia-based physical therapist and online coach said it more politely, but the point is the same. “Squats are a fundamental movement pattern,” she says. “It’s the foundation for every movement we make, from getting up from the toilet to getting out of a chair.” And in terms of staying healthy, “a solid foundation for a variety of lower body exercises is essential. You can get it.”
I’m 61 and old enough that I should have realized this a long time ago. I might have done that if I lived somewhere other than England. In most parts of the world, torts are part of public life. as a movement coach Daniel Zibatovic They point out that in many parts of Asia, Africa and continental Europe, people are more likely to squat down when chatting with friends on the street. Zivatović grew up in Croatia and now lives in London, but she still squats down when waiting for the bus. “I get weird looks all the time,” he says. “That’s the most beautiful posture.”
“That’s what you’re saying now,” I think. “But you don’t see mine.”
Since Dogpoogate I’ve been working on squats. First with exercise classes and home workouts, then while battling a torn meniscus. physics love Prescribe squats for knee problems – performed in the classic way with both legs side by side. Place one foot in front and one foot in back. One leg raised on a bench or step. One leg is in the air. With and without weights – but even my basic bodyweight squats aren’t pretty, even after months of doing them.
I’m sure you can go deeper. And I have no idea how wide my feet should be or where my toes should point. Straight? Did it turn out? So I came to Zivatović for advice.
His first tip is to give yourself some space. “No two people squat the same way,” he tells me. “It’s crazy how many variations there are depending on how we are put together. For example, if your hips are shallow, your squat will always be deep; if your joints are deep, your squats will always be deep. It’s not mobile. It also depends a lot on the length of the femur, the upper leg, and even the length of the torso.”
So what can you work on? Here’s how Kummerle teaches squats: “A general rule of thumb is to stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your toes pointing forward or out about 30 degrees. Whatever feels comfortable will do.” Lift your chest high and high. Tighten your stomach and tighten your ribs. Start by tilting your hips back, then quickly bend your knees and lower to a depth that feels comfortable. At this time, the heels should remain on the ground. Next, think about driving and pushing off the ground while standing up and squeezing your butt. ”
In other words, you need to be able to bend your hips, knees, and ankles. Which one is most likely to limit your movement? Usually it’s the ankle, says Zivatović. There are exercises to improve ankle flexibility, and while squatting more often will help, raising your heels an inch or two using everything from a special wedge to a few books can help increase your speed. You can raise it. “Some people say using a wedge is cheating, but it’s not,” he says. He has another trick that helps with balance and coordination. “Sometimes you put a little weight in front of someone and all of a sudden it’s like, oh, they’re doing a perfect squat.”
Does “perfect” mean deep? Not necessarily. But most people can ignore the general warning to not bend your knees more than about 90 degrees – if you keep that in mind. “The key word is ‘gradually’.”
You should also experiment with where you place your feet: how wide apart they are and how far they point outward. There is a reason why Kummerle uses the term “general rule of thumb.” One size doesn’t fit all, but that’s often how squats are taught, especially when a trainer gives instructions to the entire class.
“For example, if your hips are very deep, you may need to go very wide to get a really good squat,” says Zivatovic. In trying out my own squats, I’ve found that I can squat deeper and more comfortably by turning my feet outward and slightly more than my normal “hip-width” distance. “This seems like a natural thing for you,” Zivatović says. For some reason, it never occurred to me to listen to my body.
He says my squats look pretty symmetrical. My dodgy knee has a tendency to fall inward slightly when going up and down, but mostly stays in the correct position relative to my foot, roughly in line with my second toe. But for me, and most people with injuries, this type of habit is a reason to embrace the movement rather than avoid it.
Zivatović is also a physical therapist. “We were evaluating people and talking about what’s next. imbalance” he says. “I don’t think that’s a good approach, because unless you’re imbalanced enough to cause serious problems, which is rare, but there’s no need to fear any more. I’d rather see people become more active and We need to motivate them to get closer to their lower body mobility, flexibility and strength, as that is one of the main factors for longevity.”
If you’re having trouble getting started, remember that you can squat more easily by holding on to supports as you go up and down. Alternatively, choose a “box squat” where you lower your body enough to rest your butt on a bench. . Once you’ve gained some strength and confidence, you can try more demanding movements, such as goblet squats (holding dumbbells or kettlebells to your chest). Split squat (one leg in front, one leg in back). Cossack (puts one leg out to the side). A single leg squat, like a pistol squat, involves bringing the leg that isn’t supporting you straight in front of you.
As Kummerle points out, “Single-leg squats are much more difficult than double-leg squats because a) you’re essentially carrying twice the weight, and b) there’s an element of balance.” Still, Zivatovic says, “Don’t be afraid to load up your squats at some point, because they can be very helpful, especially as you get older.” A lot of people think, “Oh, I need to train less.” No, as you get older you need to train more. ”
I was fully inspired and booked my first weightlifting class. Back squats are performed in an hour by lifting and lowering a 40 kg (90 lb) barbell on your shoulders approximately 100 times. I start wearing wedges in my heels and open my feet wider than before. 40km is not that much. I have a woman with me who is lifting almost as much weight just a few weeks after giving birth. However, I felt it was a good start and immediately booked another lesson. Then, get a gym membership so you can do more. Then the next time you walk your dog, when the moment comes, pull the poop bag out of your pocket and squat like a champ.
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