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To have a slim and toned figure, it is not necessary to exhaust yourself with many hours of training. Even the simplest exercises help keep muscles in good shape. One of the affordable and easy types of physical activity are squats. They are included in every workout and it is on them that professional athletes focus. If you discard laziness and start squatting every day, then after a few weeks you will be able to notice a positive effect. Moreover, these exercises have a lot of benefits that many people are not even aware of.
“50 squats a day will keep you out of the doctors — seriously!” said Dr. Christopher Stepen, sports physician and chronic pain expert.
Working out all muscle groups
Most women and men believe that with the help of squats, you can only work out the muscles of the buttocks and legs. Actually it is not. These exercises make the whole body work.
Squatting, a person strains the muscles of the hips, buttocks, abs, lower back, calves, back and neck. To understand this, you just need to listen to your body while lifting from a deep squat. Therefore, even for those people who want to achieve cubes in the press, squats should not be ignored. They must be included in the warm-up plan before the main workout.
Squatting on one leg
Squats on one leg allow you to even out the imbalance of muscle strength. Many people have one limb weaker than the other. It’s not hard to fix.
First you need to stand in the correct position. The back remains straight, arms extended in front of you, legs are shoulder-width apart. During the squat, the body should be lowered down as much as possible. Then you need to return to the starting position. The exercise is repeated for different legs. During the squat, the free limb should be kept bent and not lean on it for as long as possible.
How to lose weight with squats
A squatting person works all muscle groups, which means that he quickly loses body weight. Therefore, everyone who wants to get rid of excess weight should include squats in their training program. These exercises are especially effective for girls and women who want to pump up the lower body and get a flat stomach.
Squat – pistol
An exercise called “squat – gun” helps to pump the lower limbs. In itself, it is simple, but it will be difficult to perform it without proper preparation. During the squat, you need to push the straight leg forward so that it is parallel to the floor. It is not always possible to sit down correctly the first time. However, the efforts that will be made will certainly pay off with excellent results. In order to get them, you need to perform the exercise correctly.
The back should be straight, legs apart shoulder-width apart, arms extended in front of you. One leg is extended forward. You need to squat in such a way that the leg is parallel to the arms. Movements are performed slowly. It’s good if you manage to do a deep squat, touching the heel of the leg on which the emphasis is placed with your thigh. The second limb should always be located on weight, at a distance of 2 cm from the floor. The rise in this exercise is the most difficult.
Correct posture
When a person squats, the load falls not only on the legs, but also on the lower back, on the upper back and even on the neck. These muscles allow you to maintain correct posture. During squats, you need to monitor how the back is located. It must be even. Otherwise, all efforts will be in vain.
Eagle Squats
Eagle squats allow you to make your workout more interesting and involve different muscle groups.
The back remains straight, the legs are brought together. The left leg is bent at the knee joint, clasping the right leg with the left foot. Alternatively, you can put one thigh on top of the other, as if the person is crouched. The arms should be bent at the elbows and brought together in front of you. The fingers are interlocked. Staying in this position, you need to do a slow squat.
Squats as injury prevention
Athletes often get injured. This is especially true for those who are just starting to train and immediately try to perform complex exercises. Excessive physical activity on weak joints and muscles leads to their damage.
To prevent sports injury, you need to train the lower body. Squats are perfect for this purpose. The mobility of the joints and their endurance increases, all muscle groups of the lower extremities are strengthened. The body gets used to working as a whole. This is the best prevention of injury.
Squats “on a chair”
Despite the name of the exercise, a person will not need a chair. To perform it, you will need to stand up straight, connect your legs, raise your hands up. You need to squat in such a way that the pelvis moves back. You should take such a pose as if a person is sitting on a chair.
When the thigh is parallel to the floor, you should linger for a few seconds and straighten up, taking the starting position. To complicate the exercise, you can try to sit down, rising on your toes.
Increase stamina
If you squat regularly, you can increase endurance, work out various muscle groups, and increase their strength. Therefore, very soon a person will be able to run for long distances without stopping.
Thanks to squats, overall athletic performance improves. A person will perform any exercise better: jump higher, run longer, etc. Therefore, it is not surprising that professional athletes always do squats.
Squats “sumo”
Sumo squats are not difficult to perform, so people who are far from arguing can start training with them.
The hips should be laid back, and the legs apart so that the socks look outward in different directions. The knees are bent. In this position, they linger for a few seconds, keeping the buttocks in tension. Then you need to straighten up. To make the exercise harder, you can stand up on your toes.
Improved coordination and flexibility
Squats increase flexibility. Joints receive a uniform load, working as a whole. Even the simplest exercises that a person performs regularly will help get rid of the crunch in the knees and hips. The greater the range of motion during squats, the greater the effect.
Plie Squats
These squats allow you to improve stretching.
The back should be kept straight, the socks should be spread in different directions, the arms should be extended along the body. Heels need to be torn off the floor at the lowest point. In this position, do a squat.
Useful Tips
You can sit almost anywhere. It is not at all necessary to visit the gym to perform these simple exercises. If you wish, you can train at home. This will allow you to get a beautiful figure at no extra cost.
You need to start squatting without weighting. When the muscles are trained, you can use a barbell or dumbbells. So that the body does not get used to monotonous exercises, you need to modify them from time to time. This will diversify the workout and get rid of boredom.
Do not lie motionless in front of the TV. If you have free time, you need to spend it for the benefit of your body. You can do it not only at home, but also on the street, while jogging in a park or stadium.
Squats with twists
To pump up the press, you should squat with twists.
You need to stand straight, with a flat back, from this position perform a classic squat. During the ascent, it is necessary to bend the left leg at the knee and touch it with the right elbow. Do the same with the right leg.
Summing-up
Although squats are beneficial to the body, exercise may be contraindicated for some people. Therefore, before you start intensively exercising, you need to visit a doctor.
You can not squat people with the following health problems:
Postponed injuries.
Diseases of the joints of the lower extremities.
Scoliosis and sciatica.
High blood pressure.
In order for squats not to cause harm, they must be performed carefully, observing safety rules.