If you are overweight and want to get in shape or if you are looking for a fit and muscular body, including squats in your daily routine can make it possible. This is because squats activate your body and burn the extra fat.

On top of that, squats help build leg muscle and strengthen your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, in the shortest amount of time. In fact, it’s an ideal full-body exercise, a movement that makes you fitter and stronger. This is why the squat is a must in boot camp workouts.

How does the squat help you?

Squats are the most primitive movement pattern known to men. So in addition to being one of the most natural movements, it’s also a safe exercise if done correctly. Here are some of the benefits of doing squats regularly:

1. All major muscle groups are active while you squat. Because of this, your strength increases as all the muscles come together to perform the movement.
2. Squats contract the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius, thereby maintaining force around the knee joint. People who squat regularly are less likely to experience knee injuries and back pain.
3. Regular squats can help you lose a lot of calories and tone your body.
4. Spending a lot of time in front of computers and televisions has caused a decline in essential bodily functions like walking, leading to different muscle weaknesses. When you squat, the muscles in your thighs and hips tend to activate. In this way, you can overcome the problems that stiff muscles can have and have a flexible lower back.
5. Squats encourage your respiratory system.
6. If you have to sit at your office desk all day, chances are you no longer have proper posture. Squatting helps you get that back back as it engages your upper back as well.
7. Squats also work on your abs.

Tips to Remember While Squatting

While squatting, your thighs should be parallel to the ground. Lower down until you feel a pulling sensation in each muscle of your leg. This is important if you want to develop a strong back and muscular legs.

The perfect posture for a squat is to sit with your back absolutely straight and your butt sticking out. It is better not to expand the knees or toes.

Don’t bend your back. This is very important. To make sure that doesn’t happen, keep your head up as you squat.

You should be standing with your toes pointing slightly out.

While performing squats on a squat track, place the bar just below shoulder level and set the safety bars low enough that you can squat low with the bar over your shoulder. Do not rest the weight on the neck, but on the upper part of the back. If you have problems with weight on your back, you can always fit a barbell pad.

You can also do dumbbell squats. Hold them with your hands, in front of you as you squat up and down.

You can perform squats with or without weights. There are trainers who think that the full squat is not good for the knees because it puts a lot of stress around the joint. But if you keep your legs straight and stay upright during the squat, there’s no reason you shouldn’t do a full squat. But it is always recommended that a professional guide you through the process.