WEEKLY TIP: THE SQUAT!

A great trainer once told me "if you want to be better at ANYTHING, start by becoming better at squats."   Why did he place such emphasis on squatting?  Because it is one of the most fundamental human movements.  We squat every day (or should be) when performing normal activities like getting up out of a chair or picking objects up off the ground.  

Not only are squats a basic human movement, but they provide many benefits for your body no matter what your fitness goals are:

• Increased energy usage.  When working a squat (with or without weight), you are using a large range of muscles in your body rather than isolating any one spot.  With more muscles firing in each movement, your body will require more energy (burn more calories).
• Increased hormonal response.  For those who are interested in developing more lean muscle mass, the complexity of the squat triggers the body to release more of the hormones and chemicals in our body that promote muscle building.  This is due to the response from working multiple muscles in one movement.
• Coordination.  The squat can be a little complicated at first since there are multiple joints moving in one exercise.  With careful practice, this will help ingrain good, safe movement.  The squat also requires the use of multiple muscle groups all working together as a team.
• Core strengthening.  The squat also requires you to maintain a strong core, especially when doing the exercise with weight.  This will help train it in a more functional way than doing a long series of crunches and situps and be a great addition to your regular core routine 

Illustration of muscles used during a squat.  Image: becuo.com

 If you are new to the squat, watch the video below for a short instruction on how to properly perform the exercise.  Start small.  Begin with bodyweight, or even some help from a band, and make sure you can get a good amount of repetitions with good form.  Then slowly add a bar and some weight on your shoulders.  If the weight throws off your form, take a small step back and practice good form in order to maximize safety.