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The Simple Squat Exercise:
Why Do So Many Do It Badly?
The simple squat exercise has many benefits beyond the obvious activity for your legs. The squat is mostly associated with weight lifting where it is essential to get it right to avoid injury.
It's also used in its shallower form in cricket, rugby, football, tennis, martial arts, volleyball and practically most sporting activities. It tends to be a position assumed when getting ready to move in a yet unknown direction.
A tennis player on the receiving end of a one hundred miles per hour service requires the same degree of mobility as the cricketer facing a fast bowler.
However, with the exception of weightlifters it is often done poorly. The common error that most commit when doing a squat exercise is made even before we start.
We think of it as a position that needs to be held, and then assume that to get into this ‘position’ we have to do something. It is not a position that requires you to tighten the hamstrings to ‘pull’ yourself down, rather it is a letting go of the legs to release into it. The squat is a dynamic form that allows the lengthening of all the body’s muscles.
The muscles keeping the legs straight are the quadriceps down the front of the leg from hips to just below the knee. To let the legs bend these muscles have to release. Because you cannot control thes muscles directly you will need to think of the movement and let your nervous system take care of the actual muscle activity. To do this, think of the space you have in front of the hip joints, behind the knees and in front of your ankles. These are where you are going to bend to do your squat exercise.
It is important to maintain awareness of the force pushing back up through the body from the floor as in previous activities. This will enable you to release into a squat with the necessary tone. Think of your head leading the torso up off the top of the legs to release the hips, knees and ankles. This action is similar to taking off the handbrake in your car – you press the button to take it up before releasing it to go down. To start with, just release a short distance to experience the movement. Allow your torso to release up and forward to maintain balance. If you feel the legs stiffen you are overdoing the move and pulling down. Keep the thought of lengthening from the floor as you continue to release tension in the legs.
When you can release without stiffening the legs, try to let them bend more whilst staying mobile in the hips. If you feel the heels coming up from the floor you are using too much effort. To prevent the heels coming up, think of softening your ankles to allow movement.
Correct use of the squat exercise can help to you become aware of the location of ankles, knees and hip joints. It can be very useful for rehabilitation from sports injuries, relieve back pain and also help when you are playing your sport.
Take a look at my fitness programs with more exercises in addition to the squat exercise
The reason most do the squat exercise badly is due to poor coordination. Muscles are not contracted or relaxing at the appropriate time. My procedures are designed to prevent interference with the reflexes that aid coordination. They are very different from what you will have seen before.
Sports injury: causes and rehabilitation
Injuries are very frustrating for the active person. But is there something more you can do to prevent them?
Try my quick coordination test
If you raise you heels off the floor whilst doing your squat exercise or feel your balance could be better it may be that your biomechanically inefficient. Try my one minute test and see for yourself.
Do core stability exercises help with your performance?
It's highly unlikely that you haven't heard of core stability. But does its popularity guarantee its credibility? A number of sports therapists and scientists are starting to question its validity.
Try one of my procedures for backpain
Whilst the squat exercise is extremely useful for back pain there are other ways to improve your movement and coordination.
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About Me
I've spent 15 years teaching sports people the Alexander Technique. This remarkable movement system helps to improve performance, posture and mental awareness whilst reducing the risk of injury.
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