{"id":3400,"date":"2020-05-15T09:50:24","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T14:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/?p=3400"},"modified":"2025-02-18T14:51:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T19:51:57","slug":"squat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/squat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Squat: A Super Exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The squat is a lower body compound movement that targets muscles of the hip, knee, and ankle joints. This movement is highly functional and develops lower body strength and trunk <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">stability and<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0improves breathing coordination. Due to its numerous benefits, the squat is an ideal exercise to include in rehab or generalized\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">programming and<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0can be easily adapted to suit a variety of levels.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Due to the variability in anatomical differences, mobility restrictions, and muscle flexibility, this exercise may look different from person to person.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Therefore,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> it is important to use this resource as a general guide; however, a physiotherapist will be able to ensure the exercise is properly and safely executed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Squat\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/76_zR1obQlg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3408 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Squat-front-start-good-e1589461351587-308x600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"390\" data-wp-pid=\"3408\" \/>Starting Position<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Stand with feet spaced hip distance apart, feet positioned symmetrically. Hands may be placed on hips, arms outstretched, crossed in front of chest, etc.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3431 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Squat-combined-177x600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"678\" data-wp-pid=\"3431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Squat-combined-177x600.png 177w, https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Squat-combined-768x2605.png 768w, https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Squat-combined-302x1024.png 302w, https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Squat-combined-472x1600.png 472w, https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Squat-combined.png 886w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>Action: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bend at the knees and hips at the same rate as though you are sitting <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">in a chair. During the movement, ensure the knees maintain their alignment between the ankles and hips. Maintain the alignment of your back throughout the movement. Make sure the feet stay grounded, do not allow heels to lift off the ground. Lower until 90\u00b0 bend at knees is achieved. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It is normal to bend your trunk forward as you lower your hips (as pictured).\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Return to starting position.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Common Mistakes to Avoid:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Arching or rounding of the back during the movement<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pushing the hips forward at the top of the movement by squeezing the glutes and \u201clocking\u201d into extension<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Lifting the heels off the ground to compensate for lack of range of motion<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Feet sliding outwards while lowering during the movement<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Knees collapsing towards the middle<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Flexing or extending at the knees and hips at different speeds (this causes the movement to become uncoordinated)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Repetitions:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Based on your individual goals, the parameters for exercise can vary significantly. The number of sets, repetitions and tempo are among\u00a0a number of\u00a0variables that can be modified in order to optimize your programming. Whether you are returning from injury, looking to get stronger, or improving your sport performance, speak to your physiotherapist to establish your training goals.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Modifications and Progressions:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Please refer to your physiotherapist if you are unsure of any aspect of the exercise or are unable to successfully perform the exercise<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Feet do not need to be straight, but maintain symmetry if they are rotated outwards<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Movement can be performed at different feet spacing (i.e. shoulder width)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Exercise can be practiced by standing to sitting from a chair<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Option to add weight to increase intensity of exercise<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Progressions can be made to emphasize power, endurance,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">etc. Speak to your physiotherapist to determine what is appropriate for you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The squat is a lower body compound movement that targets muscles of the hip, knee, and ankle joints. This movement is highly functional and develops [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/squat\/\">Read More&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> from The Squat: A Super Exercise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lets-demystify","category-super-exercises"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/physiodynamik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}