Squat, squat, squat, squat, squat

Probably the single most important exercise you could ever do on a regular basis.  Hyperbole?  Odds are you already do about 30 per day, more or less….think desk/dinner table/bathroom/car/couch/floor/etc.  In other words, we are more dependent on the squat for our mobility than any other movement we do.  We can’t even entertain walking until we get our buts up of that couch.  Think squats are easy to do right now?  Watch someone in his or her 50’s get up from a low chair.  It only gets more difficult from there.  Doing a squat as part of an exercise routine will go a long way towards prolonging the health of your hips and low back and maintaining your mobility.  

Some common questions:

How low should I go?  Is it safe to go beyond “parallel?”  The bottom of a properly executed squat should end with your hips below your knees.  2/3 of the world’s population eats dinner in a squat.

Is it safe to use weight?  Yes.  Running alone exposes you to the equivalent force of 8X your body weight.  If you want to be able to safely hop down from or over even low objects, squat with weight.  But be sure to slowly progress the weight that you use and only increase the weight when you can maintain safe form. 

What is the best form?  This is by far the question I field the most, and it is difficult to answer in the context of a blog.  Some simple rules:  Your feet should be roughly hip width apart, and pointed either straight-ahead or slight turned out.  Your first movement is backwards with your hips.  Your second movement is to drop your hips down while controlling the motion by pushing your knee out.  To rise from the bottom of the squat, again push out with your knees and rise to a fully erect position.  Some pitfalls include allowing your knee to move forward past your toes, or allowing your feet to turn out on the way up or down. 

Great Squat tutorial here:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-missing-link-movement-as-a-skill/#axzz2ke0oPHSn

Great informal explanation of the health benefits of a squat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_5lvGvxJMg