What is Squats?

The squat exercise is an effective and simple exercise that strengthens the muscles of the pelvis, buttocks, thighs, abdomen, and back, as well as helps to improve balance and strength in the lower body.

The squat has multiple health benefits like weight loss, good body posture and it also helps to avoid torn and pulled muscles.

Squat exercises are also a staple exercise in many popular recreational exercise programs.

There are multiple types of doing squats, but the 3 basic types of squats are as below:

1) Air Squats / Bodyweight  Squats

2) Cable Squats

3) Jump Squats

How to do a Squat Exercise?

It is very important to do stretching and warm-up before you start doing squats.

1) At the starting position, the feet and knees are in line and the upper body is straight.

2) The width of the pelvic leg and the focus on the whole leg. However, the position of the legs is different and is affected by the body’s weight and the depth of the squat.

3) When you start doing a squat exercise, the pelvis points backward and at the same time, the knees move forward.

4) The neutral position of the back is maintained throughout the movement. It is only safe to go down as long as the neutral position of the back is maintained. If the back becomes rounded or the lumbar spine is increased, the back structures, especially the spacers, will be subjected to the wrong load and the risk of injury will increase.

Mistakes to be Avoided While doing Squats

• Upper body position: Keep your upper body as straight as possible, chest forward. Be careful not to lean forward. And also keep your gaze forward so that your neck stays straight and your back does not get rounded.
  
• Balance support from the hands: Extend your arms straight forward for extra support to keep your balance.
  
• Thighs parallel to the base: Squat down so that the knees are at a 90-degree angle and the thighs are parallel to the base. 
  
• Knees under control: Make sure your knees are parallel to your feet when squatting, but not beyond your toes.
  
• Legs straight: Do not allow the knees to turn in or out during the squat.
  
• Stable on your feet: Stand at the width of your hips slightly outwards. Keep your entire body weight on your entire leg or heels during the squat.

Squats Benefits

The squat exercise is one of the easiest and most effective exercises for starters to the gyms who want to get their body parts in shape.

This squat exercise is useful for the training of the lower parts of the body/muscles.

• The backside of thighs i.e Hamstrings
• The front side of the things ie. Quadriceps
• Buttocks
• Calves
• Lumber
• Abductor ie. Groin