How your economic class Affects your ability to squat.

There is more to a squat than just bending your legs and descending towards the floor. There’s a beautiful pattern to it. During the movement you can observe the weight line shift forward from a side view, the hips and knees fold simultaneously in opposite directions. Approaching the resting position of a squat, abduction of the hips ensure that the knees track over the toes, allowing space for the pelvis to tilt forward, which facilitates a braced torso to offset weight shifting backward. When completing the repetition through extension of the knees and hips, downward force is applied through the balls of the feet - the 'tripod' that is the heel and two cushions just behind the toes. At this point the core is engage through internal pressure, the diaphragm, created by exhalation of the breath. The chin will remain in a fixed position to maintain spinal alignment….

Give it a go! Perform a bodyweight squat. Start with your feet hips width apart and parallel to each other, push your knees outwards as you begin to descend. Analyse your form?

We are all born fit. As toddlers we had the natural ability to squat down to pick things up of the floor. No one taught us this movement pattern!

So where did we lose our ability to perform a simple movement with such grace

I suspect that it is our western culture. The invention of two very useful devices, both of which either warrant us to be either sedentary or active, comfortable at the table or walking long distance… These two creations are the chair and footwear.

Have you ever heard of the term 'use it or lose it'

The thing about supported devices is that they can make your musculature (body) overly reliant on it and disengages the muscles which are supposed to be working, thus allowing it to atrophy (or weaken) over time.

If you think about the various types of support in life, physical and mental, climbing up the stairs or completing a puzzling task etc. Although, these supports do facilitate the achievement of an outcome but what happens when the support is no longer available? At which point are we developing as to opposed to depending? Perhaps, short term support could allow us to learn proven techniques or become aware of the correct form and posture.

How do chairs effect movement patterns

If you're reading this now you are most likely seated on a chair. I want you to pay attention to the shape of your entire body - back supported, knees and hips bent etc. Although, there is nothing wrong with all the benefits a chair has to offer. However, the overwhelming majority of the day can be spent in this position when at a desk, table, in modes of transportation, which makes your body accustom to the same position. This results in the hip flexor muscle compartment shortening, whilst the glutes (butt muscles) become stretched or underachieve. These two muscles are antagonist to each other and control the 'tilt' of the pelvis.

Now when you stand up the musculature wants to return to the familiar seated position - hence it’s quite common to see lower backs with excessive curves and knees that snap back.

When the back is supported the core becomes disengaged. The core, when engaged, is supposed to acts as a corset.

How does footwear effect movement patterns?

Take moment to stand up straight without footwear. Position your feet together, side by side, and press the side of your heels into each other… Notice how your glutes and foot arches become engaged?

Most footwear tend to have arch support and raised heels. This effectively facilitates the collapse of arches and puts your butt out of business. Also, a raised heel can tilt your centre of mass forward and the lower back muscles, while the abdominals relax, thus causing facilitating an imbalance in the musculature.

Non-western cultures

This is the section where I get into economic class! When I think back to the times when I visited non-western cultures, I recall elders being so physically mobile at a young age of 60 plus, casually squatting whilst performing tasks on the floor such as, eating and preparing food, congregating and lounging with peers, and even using the toilet! The act of lowering yourself to the ground and getting up can be so primitive, yet so impactful, it keeps your joints in check - The hips, knees, and ankles can be worked through their full ranges of motion. Sitting on the ground encourages you to have a good posture by activating the muscles that engage the spine; and deep squatting elevates the vertebrae of compressive tension. The squat position also supports bowl functions.

Correcting bad movement patterns

The muscles act on the skeletal system in opposing forces to provide stability and articulate the joints. For every joint in the body there are muscles that extend it and muscles that flex it (agonist and antagonist muscles), together they stabilise the joint and control the rate of motion. I could complicate things by introducing the physiological science to address all the areas that may be affecting your posture and movement patterns etc. but my simplest and bestest advice is to avoid chairs and spend more time on the floor!

Now I know at first this may be uncomfortable when adjusting to this new protocol, your muscles may ache or you may struggle to maintain a relaxed position. You must understand that is your body adapting and in time your musculature will balance out.

However, If you do find it hard to get into functional positions a methodical approach will be to restore musculature balance. This is a protocol where I assess your movement (in person or remotely) to identify which areas of your musculature are unbalanced and then prescribe you with suitable exercises to restore movement functionality.