Your physiotherapist or exercise physiologist has just asked you to do a squat and tells you that you need to work on your squat technique. But squats are only for people who go to the gym, right? And you don’t even go to the gym, so how does that relate to you?
We generally associate a squat as being something that we would only do in a gym environment to build up the strength of our glutes and leg muscles. Which, yes, that’s true – many people do squats at the gym for those reason.
But, guess what?!
Squats actually come in handy for so many daily activities, and you probably don’t even realise how many you’re already doing!
So, if the squat isn’t just for “gym junkies”, what sort of everyday activities is a squat useful for?
Here are 5 daily tasks that require you to squat:
1. Picking up Your Groceries
We all have to reach down into the fridge or those bottom shelves to get our groceries, and if you’re curving or bending your back or bending solely from your hips (without using your knees), then you’re doing it all wrong, and you might end up with a bad back!
2. Moving Boxes
Have you ever gotten a sore back or shoulders from moving a few boxes? It could be because your squat isn’t in tip top shape! Having a good squat to pick up all your furniture and boxes will help to protect your back, shoulders and knees.
3. Sitting down and Standing up from Your Chair at Work (Or the Couch!)
Believe it or not, having a fantastic squat is absolutely necessary for being able to get down onto and up from your chair, whether it’s at work or at home in front of the TV! Being able to use your glutes and hips properly is absolutely necessary for being able to sit down and get back up again. If you don’t use your hips and lower limb muscles to propel yourself, you might find yourself using different strategies to actually get yourself up (like your hands!).
4. Walking to Work or even Bushwalking in the Blue Mountains.
We don’t know about you, but if you’ve been to the Blue Mountains and tried some of their walks, you’ll know that there are plenty of trails that include being able to get up and down from rock formations. Leaping from rock to rock, or even walking up and down the steep staircases requires you to propel yourself up and then land properly and this requires some form of squatting!
5. Getting in and out of the car
Yes, small car drivers, we’re talking to you! Whether you like to believe it or not, you use your squat technique to get into the car – yes, it’s important, even sideways!
So, once you start to realise how common the squat movement pattern is in your daily life, it makes sense that you should get your technique right, otherwise chances are that at some stage in your life, you’re going to injury yourself.
To help you master the squat, our Precision Physio Concord team have just released a series of videos called “The Squat Series” where they take you through a step-by-step process to master your own squat. Follow this link to see the videos:
Book an appointment
If you found this article helpful, but think you would do better with some one-on-one help, you can contact us on 02 8607 4000 or request a call by completing this form and speak to us about a squat session with a Precision Physio Exercise Physiologist or Physiotherapist.
This blog was written by Kelly Jones – Physiotherapist at Precision Physio Concord. If you would like more information, or to work specifically with Kelly, you can contact her through the Precision Physio Concord clinic: 02 9736 3950 or book in online HERE
