Q. What is a Squat?

A. Squat is a very important functional exercise because it mimics everyday motion such as sitting down or picking something up. Unfortunately, there are many things that can go wrong when doing this exercise. The most common mistake is to put pressure on the toes instead of the heel of the foot. This causes unbalance, injuries to the knees and misalignment of the lower back.

Q. How can I do a squat properly?

A. Many trainers give the example of sitting on a chair. The problem is, too many people don’t realize how they sit down and how to have a proper posture. You want to start with your feet hip apart, your feet should point straight ahead and your upper back should stay nice and tall. You then put pressure on your heels (back of the feet) as you are pushing your bum down towards your heels keeping your knees straight, your core engaged and your shoulders relaxed. The key factors in doing a proper squat are keeping your upper body nice and tall as you are descending and keeping your hips neutral as you are ascending. Try doing this exercise in front of a mirror to see if your knees are aligned with the rest of your body (knees are straight and toes are in front of the knees)

Q. How do I breathe doing this exercise?

A. You always want to exhale on the exertion. So you are breathing in on the way down and breathing out on the way up. Holding your breath or breathing the other way may cause dizziness and nausea.

Q. Which muscles am I working when doing a squat?

A. You should be working your quads (front of legs), hamstrings (back of legs), glutes and your core (abdominals and lower back). If you ever feel pain on your ankles, knees, back and shoulders, please contact a health professional.