Four Squat Tips for a Great Body and Zero Risk of Injury
Yes, doing squats with a zero risk of injury is possible! You just need to keep four tips in mind to exercise the lower part of your body and nail a healthy figure. Your muscles and joints will thank you for it.
Squats are a hot exercise thanks to the results they give; they tone and define the glutes, work out abs and strengthen the lower body. Squats exercise the hip, torso and knee areas so they put several joints and muscle groups to work.
These exercises are great for minimizing aging symptoms, strengthening muscles that surround the hips and for preventing joints from wearing out. Squats will reduce flexor muscle pain and reverse their shortening. They also release testosterone and the growth hormone, somatotropin, which helps the body build muscle mass.
Additionally, squats will get the fluids pumping, helping the body administer nutrients and eliminate waste. Getting bowel movements on their course and regulating them is another huge benefit of doing squats.
Zero risk and muscle groups
Squats affect many different muscle groups. First off are the quads, which are composed of the vastus medialis, intermedius, and lateralis along with the rectus femoris.
These four muscles work together in the front upper part of the leg with the knee joint. They’re almost like an extension to the knee, contracting as it lowers and lifts to do the exercise.
Moving on, the gluteus maximus helps push out the hips. In a squat, this muscle controls the speed of the descending movement and pulls on the thighs during the lift.
There is also another group of muscles that play a role in squats. Hamstrings are a group of three muscles that are located behind the pelvis and tibia. They work to extend the hips to help the gluteus maximus.
The erector spinae also helps the body to do squats. It stabilizes the body during the exercise by contracting during when the body lowers and rises. It’s the main spine muscle that helps rotate the torso.
Tips for doing squats with a zero risk of injury
A good squat will strengthen the legs and glutes. It’ll also improve the mobility of the lower body while keeping bones and joints in good shape.
Get comfortable
To ensure zero risks of injury, first, look for a comfortable position to start in. If you find more stability to stand with your feet parallel than slightly turned out, go for it! Tighten your abs and keep your gaze fixed forward with your head held high.
Basic positions for zero risk
There are four basic positions: starting, which is where you stand straight with your feet slightly more than a shoulder-width apart. You can place your arms in front of you or hang them at your side.
Next, in the following position keep your trunk straight, free of hunches. Start lowering yourself as if you were going to sit down. You have to use your abs to keep your body stable as you descend.
In the last position, you finish lowering your body while keeping your back straight. You should feel the tension in your abs and thighs, not your knees.
Many sources recommend not letting your knees go past your toes but it’s actually the only way you can lower yourself completely without arching your back. Make sure that they’re in front of your shoulders, above your hip line. Keep your heels firmly grounded.
Now, it’s time to return to the starting position. Rise while keeping your back straight, until you’re completely standing again. You should feel your abs, not your back, working.
When does it start to get risky?
Keeping your knees together will prevent you from achieving the correct posture. Likewise, lifting your heels during the descend will throw off your balance; if you lean forward as well, you’ll lose your balance.
Not being mindful of these tips will put your muscles, ligaments, and joints at risk of injury. You could also suffer from back or leg pain as well as a loss of flexibility.
From childhood to today
We’ve done squats since childhood in almost every activity prior to walking. The daily grind, long days at the office and changes in our habits made us forget this long-lost capacity. Relearning it is only a matter of dedication and effort.
Try our tips, they’ll help you squat correctly without risk of injury. You’ll regain flexibility in your hips, nail a fine figure and get your muscles and joints in perfect condition.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- G-SE. Análisis biomecánico de las sentadillas. Extraído de: https://g-se.com/uploads/blog_adjuntos/an_lisis_biomec_nico_de_las_sentadillas.pdf
- Miguel A. Lavorato. Nicolás Vigario Pereira. La sentadilla, ¿ejercicio potencialmente lesivo? Extraído de: http://www.productosfortia.com/la-sentadilla-es-un-ejercicio-potencialmente-lesivo.pdf