Why squats should be a must-have part of your workout routine

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Squat variations are favorite exercises for athletes for one very important reason: they really work! But how and why? Let's figure it out.

The squat technique is simple, no additional equipment is required. Another plus is that this exercise is very natural for a person, since during the day we constantly squat to sit on a chair, lift what we have dropped, and so on, so that the risk of injury is minimized.

By the way, a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that doing weighted squats in women suffering from osteopenia or osteoporosis after menopause can improve bone mineral density in the spine, especially in the cervical spine.

In addition, beautiful and strong hips, as well as firm and toned gluteal muscles look great on both the female and male body.;)

Why do squats

1. Stimulates the production of hormones. Squats increase testosterone and growth hormone levels, which are directly involved in muscle building.

2. Strengthens the core muscles. Squats work your core muscles, that is, your lower back and abs. So don't think that squats are for your legs and buttocks. This almost universal exercise will target a lot more muscles.

3. Improve flexibility. Deep squats improve hip mobility. Many people put a lot of stress on their hips due to improper posture, so they often want to sit down and rest. The development of flexibility in the hip joints helps to correct posture, relieves lower back pain.

4. Help to quickly get rid of waste products of the body. Squatting improves the circulation of blood and other fluids, helping to remove waste products and improving the delivery of essential nutrients to all organs and tissues.

5. Don't really kill your knees. An article in Sports Medicine states that even the deepest squats (when squatting) cannot harm your ligaments. As the authors of the study noted, your cartilage tissue adapts to stress in order to cope with the extra weight in the same way that muscles do.

Squats on their own will not harm your knees, but they can exacerbate existing problems. That is, if you do not tell the trainer about the knee injury, the pain may recur. Plus, there is a chance of getting new damage, since your body will no longer work as it should.

It is not squats that are harmful to your knees, but the wrong technique.

For example, in no case should you squat with a lot of weight so that your knees extend beyond your toes, since usually the body weight is evenly distributed for balance and when lifting you should push yourself with your heels without leaning forward strongly. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the back. She should be straightened. No humps in the lower back and thoracic region: they can lead to spinal injuries.

6. Helps to become faster and jump higher. Research has shown that squatting increases the speed and jump height of an athlete. Therefore, these exercises are always included in the training program of professional athletes.

This is explained very simply: squats make our hips strong (not only muscles, but also ligaments) and add flexibility to us, which means that the explosive power of the jump increases, cushioning improves and, as a result, injuries during jumps are reduced. As for running, it is more correct to increase the speed not due to the cadence or stride width, but due to the correct work of the hips.

7. Improve balance. As we said, squats are exercises that are natural to our daily life. Strong legs and core muscles make us more stable and help maintain balance, and improve communication between the brain and muscle group, which helps to avoid falls. And this is an increase in the duration of a healthy and active life! After all, the less we fall in old age, when the bones are no longer so strong, the less trouble we get.