Everything You Need To Know About Deep Squats And Safety
Exercise has been shown to be key to maintaining body muscle, improving cardiovascular fitness, and effectively reducing the risk of many age-related diseases. Of course, exercise has to be undertaken with care. Too much or poor form can quickly result in an injury. This can set back your exercise program by weeks or even months as you heal. In some cases, the injury can even be life-changing.
Of course, if you’re undertaking exercise it is best to speak to your doctor first. A visit to a reputable Botany physiotherapy s also beneficial as it will provide you with exercises specific to what your body needs. When looking at exercises you will undoubtedly come across the squat. There are different versions of the squat and one that receives a lot of attention is the deep squat. Opinions are divided regarding whether it is safe or not.
What Is A Deep Squat
Squatting is effectively the same as sitting, but without the chair. You place your feet shoulder-width apart and then sit on an invisible chair before using your legs to push yourself back into the starting position and repeat. You can add weights to make it more challenging.
The deep squat is essentially the same. The main difference is that your hips must go below the height of your knees.
The Health Issue
Many people will tell you that a deep squat is bad for you because you are pushing the knees past a 90° point and therefore increasing the stress on the joint.
However, the truth is that, for the majority of people, squatting this deep isn’t an issue. The forces on your knee joint will actually peak when you are partially through the standard squat. The lower you get and the greater the bend in your knee the less force your knee will be under.
If you’re concerned about the joint between your knee cap and your femur at the front of the knee then you don’t need to be. Although the forces on this area do increase there is no risk.
The main concern will be if you experience pain while deep squatting. If so then you should limit your squat depth to the pre-pain position. After all, pain is your body warning you that there is an issue and you should heed it.
Why Deep Squat
The standard squat is great for leg and core strength. The deep squat takes this a step further and offers a more effective way of building glutes, inner thighs, and overall leg strength. Alongside this, the deep squat is good for lower back stability and boosts pelvic stability. It can even help with flexibility.
The bottom line is that deep squats are safe when performed properly. The important point to note is to listen to your body. If you start experiencing pain then stop the squat, do not try to push through the pain as this is when you are likely to injure your knee.
