Whether you have a membership at CrossFit gym in Castle Pines (Denver) or a workout room in your basement, if you lift weights you need to know the proper form, and that includes knowing how to squat. This technique should be used for more than just weightlifting, though.
Squatting is an important exercise. We do it all throughout the day to sit down and stand up, or even just to pick something up off the floor. We may have been told to keep our backs straight when lifting heavy objects, but that is not all that is needed. What most of us don’t do is utilize our glutes, powerful hip extensors, during this exercise. We tend instead to keep our weight too far forward into our knees instead of sitting back.
The proper form is to stick out your derriere, like you are sitting in a chair, and squeeze your glutes to straighten up. The more you strengthen your glutes, the less the other muscles in your legs, including your knees, ankles and feet, become strained. Increasing your gluteal strength can even help with lower back pain.
Did you do your squats today? To learn more about proper exercise form, contact Castle Pines Physical Therapy at 303-805-5156 to schedule a one-on-one consultation with one of our physical therapists. Then, next time you head to the gym, don’t forget to drop it like a squat, and remember to check your form, sit back, stick it out, and squeeze those buns!