Should You Be Squatting More?

associated with harmful health outcomes regardless of physical activity. And while we all put our faith into standing desks as the obvious antidote, it turns out that strategy might be doing more harm than good. There might be a simpler solution that doesn't involve a fancy office successory or swollen ankles squatting. We spoke with Area Matlick, a New York based nurse practitioner. She said, when it comes to the human body, spending too much time in any single position

has a cost. In the US today, we sit a lot, so it would do us good to squat a bit more. Jessica Gilbert, a California based certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, agrees. She said we should most definitely be squatting more in our everyday lives for many reasons. The first and most important is that most people struggle from inactive gluteal muscles glutes and that can cause low back pain, knee pain, throw off your posture, and affect your everyday workouts.

She says. That's squatting for just thirty seconds a few times a day can strengthen those inactive muscle groups. So why squatting? You might instead want to ask why not squatting? While you may not typically see people in the United States crouching with bent knees, but's hovering above their heels, you'll see that pose on the regular in other countries, particularly in places where squat toilets where the peon or bowls at floor level are common, like throughout Asia, India,

and Africa. But people in other parts of the world also commonly issued chairs to squat when eating, talking, and just generally hanging out. And while the super low squat you'll see abroad may look much different than the standard issue jim move common in the United States, Gilbert says they both have their rightful place and booty building perks. She said a typical jim squat and squats in other countries are all fairly the same, but the depth, range

of motion and uses are different. She explained that a jim squat will build strength, where squatting in daily life can build endurance. Matt Luck explained that it used to be more common for people all over the world to give birth and use the toilet in a squatting position. She said, the less we squat, the weaker the muscles that make squatting possible become a lot of fitness routines

and yogic practices include squating exercises for good reason. Squatting increases leg strength and stability, gets the blood flowing, warms up the body, and improves muscle tone without putting excessive pressure on the joints. And while no one really likes to talk about it, that toilet thing is important, hence the success of the squatty potty. Victoria Albana, another New York based nurse practitioner and health coach, said, we definitely

should all be squatting to have a bowel movement. When we're in a fully squatted position, it's a more natural position for our colon. When the Victorians came up with the concept of the throne toilet. It was a big step backward for bowel health. But beyond the bathroom, squatting has a ton of benefits that nonpractitioners are missing out on.

Albana said, I also think when we're squatting all the time to do all sorts of things, we're engaging our core in our back and engaging a series of muscles that the average American is no longer engaging. We're having more back pain than ever before. I don't think it's a one to one correlation, but we're definitely sitting more and commuting more, and it's one part of the picture. While it's a good idea to get your squad on more often, it's also important to remember that not all

squats are created equal. Matlick said, rapid, careless squatting can easily lead to back injuries, so it's important to engage the core muscles and keep the back straight. When adding squats to your daily routine, start with slow movements for one to three minutes and work up to a faster pace and longer duration. Whether you're squeezing more squats in for overall health and mobility or you're really looking to

build some muscle. Gilbert has a few takeaway tips. She said, always keep the weight of your squats in your heels, keep your chest up and shoulder blades back. When you're doing a squat and coming up to the standing position, always squeeze your butt. If you're leaning forward or backward in your squats, you're more likely to injure yourself. So if you're new to working out or just want to improve your squatting technique, I recommend finding a bench and

practice the sitting and standing technique. Even just taking a seat and then standing up fift twenty times in a row once a day can make a difference. It's almost the same idea as the gym technique. Today's episode was written by Michelle Kunstantinovski and produced by Tyler Clang for iHeart Media and How Stuff Works. For more on this and lots of other well toned topics, visit our home planet, how stuff Works dot com.