Classically identified by heavy flexion of the hip and knee joints coupled with a straight, upright back, the squat is a natural human biomechanical movement and has been used extensively across several cultures, both currently and historically, as a natural sitting posture.
The bodyweight squat may have no identified unique originator from antiquity, but squatting as an exercise in America was popularized in the 1920s by the likes of Harry Steinborn and George Hackenschmidt when they began performing the barbell back squat as a dedicated exercise. Once the effectiveness of the movement had been identified, it set into motion the introduction of a great number of future squatting movements.
5 Go-To Squat Exercises
The squat movement works primarily on your gluteal, quadriceps, and hamstring muscles, but also heavily involves the accessory balance muscles of your lower body and your core musculature as well. I find that by strengthening so much of the lower body and your core, squats instill the ability to move more effortlessly and fluidly throughout your day, giving you a feeling of youth and also increasing your safety by reducing the risk of potential falls.
Practice Note: Squats can be helpful for people with knee problems because they strengthen the leg and hip muscles that support the joint. However, they must be done with proper form and limited depth. If done incorrectly or too deeply, they can increase pain.
1. Chair Squat
The chair squat is a timeless overall squat movement that offers a special advantage: it provides a rock-solid endpoint for the actual squat portion of the exercise. Using a chair offers a high degree of safety and lets you deepen into fatigue with a built-in place to rest. Focusing heavily on the gluteal and quadriceps muscles, it’s a great basic strengthening exercise.
Step 1: Stand in front of a chair with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides.
Step 2: Shift your weight forward and slowly move into sitting while raising your arms straight up in front of you with your elbows fully extended. You want your arms to be parallel to the ground when you sit fully down on the chair.
Step 3: As soon as you sit completely down, immediately and slowly return to standing; lower your arms back to your sides as you stand.
Step 4: Sitting down and rising back up counts as one repetition. Try to perform three sets of 15 repetitions.
Modifications: If you can’t perform full squats, abbreviate the movements into partial squats. How much? Experiment with the exercise to see what works best for you.
Why I Like Them: The Chair Squat in part removes the effort of deceleration from your knees, glutes, and quadriceps muscles because the chair seat helps arrest the movement instead. This can reduce potential pain and decrease the feeling of effort.
2. Wall Squat
Many of the squatting movements I present here today involve a considerable amount of movement. The wall squat, however, involves more of a static hold once you move into position. Static holds can be great for reducing joint and muscle pain while also working on strengthening your muscles.
Step 1: Stand with your back against a wall and your feet approximately 18 inches away from the wall. Slowly bend your hips and knees and slide down against the wall until you reach 90 degrees of hip and knee flexion, and then hold there. It will look like you’re in a sitting position without a chair beneath you.
Step 2: Try to hold the position for 30 seconds. Holding the position for 30 seconds counts as one set. Try to perform three total sets of these movements.
Modifications: If you can’t slide down to 90 degrees of hip flexion, just move down as far as you can. Feel free to experiment with hold times, because though the movement is punishing for some people, others can hold the position for surprising amounts of time. Be sure to preserve enough strength to stand up when you need to.
Why I Like Them: Most people tolerate wall squats well. They’re also an easy-to-maintain position.
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3. Basic Bodyweight Squat
Now we move into the classic free squat movement. It’s highly effective at building strength in your gluteal and quadriceps muscles, but also has the advantage of engaging your postural stabilizers and accessory balance muscles, like the muscles in your calves, the internal and external obliques in your core, as well as the muscles on the front of your calves, which help lift the front of your feet while walking.
Step 1: Stand with your arms crossed high on your chest and your feet approximately hip-width apart.
Step 2: Slowly squat down until your hips and knees are bent to 90 degrees—or wherever is right for you; be sure to keep your knees facing straight forward and avoid letting them drift wider as you perform the squat. Take one to two seconds to move into position.
As you squat, maintain your arms in position and keep your back straight. “Sit back” into the position and glide your hips back to avoid overstressing your knees. As soon as you move as far as you can into the squat (or to 90 degrees of hip and knee flexion), slowly rise back up to standing.
Step 3: Moving down and rising back up counts as one repetition. Try to perform three sets of 12 repetitions.
Modifications: Only move as far into the squat as you comfortably can. If you struggle with balance during this activity, stand next to something that can help you stabilize.
Why I Like Them: Basic squats require no gear, build real leg strength, protect joints, and help you move easily throughout your day. You can drop into one anywhere and work multiple muscles at the same time.
4. Plié Squat
The Plié Squat builds on the standard bodyweight squat by placing your feet farther apart and your toes slightly outward. As you squat, your knees move slightly outward rather than hinging forward. This movement adds muscular emphasis to your hip adductors, which are often neglected.
Step 1: Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and point your toes approximately 45 degrees outward.
Step 2: Keeping your back upright and straight, slowly squat down until your hips and knees reach 90 degrees of flexion, or as far as is right for your knees. As you do, clasp your hands together and bring them up to your chest. Keep your knees back rather than allowing them to roll inward.
Step 3: Rise back up to standing, and lower your hands back down to your sides as you do. Squatting down and then rising back up counts as one repetition. Try to perform three sets of 12 repetitions each.
Modifications: Only squat down as far as you comfortably can during this exercise. Stand next to something you can use for stability if you would like support.
Why I Like Them: This exercise helps establish a “whole package” of strengthening for your hip musculature by involving your hip adductors.
5. Lateral Squat Walk
Squatting movements don’t just have to be up and down. We can combine a squatting position with movement out of one position to compound the challenge. For this exercise, I want to superimpose lateral movement instead, which will, in addition to working your gluteal, quadriceps, and core musculature, engage the muscles on the outer front part of each hip. These muscles contribute to hip abduction and also help keep your hips level during walking or running.
Step 1: Squat down to approximately 90 degrees of hip and knee flexion, lean forward slightly, and bring your hands up close to your chest.
Step 2: Step approximately 2 feet out to the right with your right foot, and then step in the same direction with your left foot as you move laterally. Move slowly enough to maintain good control.
Step 3: Stepping out to the side with one foot and then the other counts as one repetition. Try performing three sets of 20 steps to the right, and then to the left.
Modifications: Squat down and step out only as far as is healthy for your body. Resist the temptation to accelerate as you go; keep your steps at a measured pace. You can also substitute time for counts. For instance, you can perform the movement in each direction for 30 seconds rather than trying to count steps.
Why I Like Them: This exercise is excellent for improving your lateral stability during task performance, which can help decrease your chance of falls.
Together, these exercises build on the classic squat, an exercise position so natural to the human body that we’ve been doing the movement forever. Performed consistently, they can be highly beneficial, and I recommend doing them at least three times per week, ideally five. Good luck, and I hope they work well for you.
About the Fitness Model: Aerowenn Hunter is a health editor for The Epoch Times. She’s an accredited yoga therapist with more than three decades of teaching experience.
