Why You Should Embrace the Deep Squat
Squatting deeply with heels flat on the ground is a legit move seen across cultures, but it’s less common in the U.S. It's also a natural skill we lose as we age, which is a shame because it’s wonderful for joint health and mobility.
When you squat, your ankles, knees, and hips get a full range of motion, keeping them limber and strong. Think of it as turning yourself into a human Slinky—aligning your weight and balance in a playful yet effective way.
You don't need to hang out in a squat for hours to get the benefits, though. Aim for short sessions throughout your day to boost your balance, joint mobility, and muscle strength.
And don’t stress if deep squats aren’t your thing. Simply break up your sitting time with simple movements like doing sit-to-stands. You don’t need to nail the perfect squat to stay fit—just listen to your body, sprinkle in some squats for good measure, and keep moving.
Read more about deep squats in the original article below by Caroline Bologna (from HuffPost).
I was recently on a vacation with a friend that involved a great deal of walking around a new city. During a moment of respite, I noticed she dropped into a deep squatting position, rather than plopping down on a nearby bench like I did. When I asked why she wasn’t sitting, she joked, “I’m trying out the Slav squat.”
The pervasive “Squatting Slav” or “Slav Squat” meme refers to images of Slavic-appearing men wearing tracksuits and hanging out together in a deep squatting position with their heels flat on the ground. Searches for this meme often direct people to the notion of the
“Asian Squat” as well ― a nod to the ubiquity of deep squats in many Asian cultures.
But in the U.S., squatting is considerably less common (such that in my informal poll of friends, only about half were even able to assume this position without holding onto something).
“We squat as children and in our teens, but as we in the Western world get older we completely stop deep squatting in our daily lives unless we intentionally do it as a form of exercise or in yoga,” said
Bahram Jam, a physical therapist at Athlete’s Care Clinic in Toronto. “A true sign of aging is the inability to squat or sit on the floor and be able to get up independently again.”
But should we be hanging out in a deep squat for prolonged periods of time? What’s the optimal approach to the squat? Below, Jam and other experts break it down.
What does squatting do for your body?
“When you squat, your joints are at the end range of motion ― ankle, knee and hip,” noted
Bryan Ausinheiler, a physical therapist, personal trainer and nutritionist who’s developed an interest in the deep squat and the cultural differences in how people move their bodies.
Maintaining a deep squat resting position with heels on the ground requires a good amount of balance.
“Think of it like a Slinky, folding over and aligning your weight,” said
Justin C. Lin, a physical therapist and executive director of
Rehab and Revive Pain and Wellness Center in Tustin, California. “You’re trying to line up your center of balance, so you can kind of crumple down like an aluminum can. It’s this little balance game.”
This balance game, as Lin called it, targets multiple muscle groups, stretching your back, hips, knees and ankles.
“The ankles, knees, hips and back move into their full rage of flexion, loading the joint and the cartilage which is necessary for maintaining good cartilage health,” Jam said.
For some people, getting into a deep squat position with their heels on the ground is difficult or may even feel impossible. This is often the result of compromised ankle dorsiflexion ― basically the ability to bend your ankle and move your foot toward your shin.
“Full ankle dorsiflexion is needed to keep the heels down during a squat,” Jam explained. “If people have stiff ankles either due to genetics or due to an old ankle injury, keeping the heels down will not be possible. The modification is to simply hold on to a doorway or a bar and go into a deep squat.”
Ausinheiler noted that 45 degrees is the optimal ankle range of motion for achieving a deep squat and that people with less than 35 degrees will likely struggle to get into the position.
“When my babies were born, I measured their range of motion at about 75 degrees,” he explained. “That’s why it’s so easy for toddlers to squat. They have the body proportions of a chimp, so their shins might even be totally vertical.”
As children grow, their body proportions change, and their limbs get longer. Squatting thus becomes more difficult.
“Short people have proportionally shorter limbs in general, so squatting will be easier for them,” Ausinheiler explained. “The people who break world records in squatting are usually short.”
