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How would you rate your ability to squat?

Take this quiz.

   Did you answer yes to any of the above in our second quiz?

Is how you squat the root cause of your discomfort?  Likely not.

However, the habits you use while squatting, (any of the ones you said yes to in our first quiz) are likely habits you use throughout your everyday activities, for posture, and for exercise.

Check out the video on this page where we talk about how to squat optimally for the health of the spine, hips, knees, and more.

We also covered safe and effective progressions of the squat to help improve leg, back and. glute strength while also improving balance and walking.

Check out the This. Not That. photos below for ideas for optimal versus nonoptimal ways to squat.

Squatting is an activity that you do all day long.  How you do it is very important.  

Learn more about alignment and balance training with Jenice Mattek from Chicago Integrative Movement Specialists. 

Over the last two newsletters, we have looked at plank and squat progressions and challenged you to do them optimally and earn the right to move on to the next level of progressions.  This time we will look at the split squat which progresses to step-ups. 

The split squat progression is a great way to train, the legs, glutes, as well as, balance, walking, running, and more when performed optimally.

Be sure to set up and check your setup before each set:

1. Think length through the back of your head, and set your foot tripod with your weight balanced between the base of your big toe, the base of the small toe, and the heel.
2. Go into a small squat and slide one foot back slightly with the back heel off the ground.
3. Most of your weight should be on the front foot in the tripod.
4. Inhale to come up - maintaining the weight on the forward foot.
5. Exhale to go down - maintaining the weight on the forward foot.
6. Stay on the same leg for 8 repetitions.
7. Switch to the other leg repeating...