by Molly Rausch L1 Personal Trainer and Certified Athletic Trainer
Hello everyone! This week’s “Fitness Tip of the Week” is about proper squat form. You may or may not realize this, but you squat so much throughout your day. In order to sit down, you have to squat to get to the chair. Getting into a chair without squatting is just falling. Unfortunately with the human body, doing a movement frequently does not guarantee you are moving correctly. A squat, although frequently used, is a very complex movement pattern. There are a lot of moving parts involved during a squat. So let’s break it down starting for the toes and working our way up.
Tips for your Squat:
- Feet: Flat on the ground. Body weight in your heels. Toes slightly turned out. Stance can be hip width or a little wider depending on what is comfortable for you.
- Knees: Should be in line with your toes. Knees should not cave in toward each other. If you are squatting to 90 degrees or above, knees should stay behind toes.
- Hips: Move hips backward as your knees bend. Keep natural curve in low back and do not over arch your lower back.
- Core: Keep core activated or braced.
- Chest and Shoulders: Chest should be up. Shoulders should be pulled back and down away from your ears.
- Head: Should remain in line with your spine. Don’t look down or crank your head back. Gaze should be forward.
If you have any questions on this topic, please feel free to contact me at mrausch@healthworksfitness.com
Molly’s Fitness Tip of the Week 