If you’re looking for an effective way to boost your overall fitness and want to get – quickly – real results from your workout program, look no further than doing squat exercises.
This exercise should be part of any training program because it is relatively simple to perform, requires no equipment, and can be practiced almost anywhere.
What’s more, although squats are often referred to as “leg” exercises, they are actually beneficial for the whole body, including the deep muscles of the trunk …
The top 8 benefits of squats
Most of you know that I am a hard-working practitioner, and that I fervently encourage the practice of physical activity.
If you are not yet following a regular exercise program, you can find tips for getting started here.
It goes without saying that one of the best resolutions for your health is to follow a regular exercise program, and incorporating squats is a must.
How are squats such extraordinary exercises?
1- They allow to strengthen the whole body
Of course, squats allow you to strengthen your legs (including the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves) but they also create an anabolic environment that promotes muscle development of the entire body.
When done correctly, squats are so intensive that they trigger the release of testosterone and growth hormones in the body, which are essential for muscle growth and also help to improve muscle mass when then works other parts of the body.
Squats can help you strengthen the lower but also the upper body.
2- Functional exercises make it easier to carry out daily activities
Functional exercises help your body perform everyday actions, not just manipulate fitness equipment. Squats are one of the best functional exercises, since the human being has practiced bending since the Stone Age. By doing squats, you increase your muscle mass and help your muscles work more efficiently, while promoting your mobility and balance. All these benefits are translated daily by a body that moves better.
3- They make you burn more fat
Developing muscle mass is one of the most effective ways to burn more calories! With every pound of muscle you gain, your body burns 50 to 70 more calories a day. If you take 5 kg of muscle, for example, you will automatically burn 500 to 700 calories more each day than before.
4- They help maintain mobility and balance
It is essential to have strong legs to stay mobile while getting older, and squats are just amazing to strengthen the legs. They also work on the stabilizing muscles of the trunk, which helps maintain a good balance, while improving the communication between your brain and your muscle groups, which helps prevent falls – it is a way of doing more. effective to prevent the bills that consumption of high-dose calcium supplements or other medications for bones.
5- They prevent injuries
The majority of sports injuries are due to stabilizing muscles, ligaments or weak connective tissue, which squats help to strengthen. They also help to prevent injuries by improving flexibility (squats increase the range of movement of the ankles and hips) and balance, as explained above.
6- They improve your sports performance – you jump higher and run faster
Whether you are a military reservist or a young mother running after her youngest child, you will be happy to learn that studies have linked squatter force to athletic ability. Specifically, doing squats helps athletes run faster and jump higher, which is why this exercise is part of virtually every professional athlete training program.
7- They tone the back, the abdominals and the whole body
Few exercises work as many muscles as the squat, so it is an excellent multi-function activity, which tones and tightens the back, abdominals and of course, the legs. In addition, squats develop muscles, which help regulate blood sugar levels, fat metabolism and insulin sensitivity, protecting you from obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
8- They help with the elimination of waste
Squats improve circulation of body fluids and thus help to eliminate waste and transport nutrients to all tissues, including organs and glands. They also improve the movement of faeces in the colon and promote regular intestinal transit.
How to execute a squat correctly ?
Squats have long been accused of being bad for the knees, but research has shown that when done properly, squats actually improve knee stability and strengthen connective tissue.
1. Warming up
2. Standing, feet apart a little more than shoulder width
3. Keep the back in the neutral position and the knees aligned in the axis of the feet
4. Slowly bend your knees, hips and ankles and lower yourself to a 90 ° angle
5. Return to starting position - do 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions if you are a beginner (two to three times in a week)
6. Inhale while descending, exhale while returning to the starting position
Add squats to your complete training program
Physical activity plays a key role in the fight against disease, as well as in the pursuit of optimal mental, emotional and physical health and in improving longevity. It's a really amazing way to make the most of your life! After studying 40 reports published between 2006 and 2010, researchers have deduced that physical activity reduces the risk of contracting about two dozen different diseases, from cancers and heart disease to type 2 diabetes, including brain strokes. dementia and depression.
Physical activity also slows down the aging process itself, stimulating even the regeneration of energy-producing mitochondria in the cells, probably the natural phenomenon closest to the fountain of youth.
As with almost anything in life, a training program, to be effective, must be balanced. It is therefore best to avoid over-emphasizing cardio exercises, weight training, or any type of exercise. Many public health guides still focus mainly on the aerobic components of exercises, but this limited activity can lead to imbalances that may ultimately run counter to optimal health.
That's why it's so important to maintain a balanced workout program that is not exclusively aerobic, but also includes strength training, stretching, and high-intensity interval training, or HIIT such as Peak Fitness.
Mr. Darin, coach, for example recommends beginners to start with 2 to 3 sets of squats, two to three times a week - doing more would not give you enough time to recover. As always, by developing a training program that's right for you, consider listening to your body so that it can guide you on the path that will bring you real benefits.