Just like staple food, there is a staple movement in exercise too. It is the one move that provides full body fitness as it works the hips, glutes, quads and hamstrings, and in a very sneaky way, the core muscles too. Although the squat is considered to be a “leg” exercise; it’s really a full body or compound movement that uses the knee and the hip joint.

It is functional which means that it mimics a ton of natural movement patterns in everyday life. But while squats are magical in terms of results, they require effort and agility, and maintaining correct form in these exercises is more important than the number of repetitions that you might do. A sloppy posture will result in sloppy squats and nearly zero impact; in fact bad form can even damage your knees.

Squats improve balance and coordination, bone density, and strengthen the core. They also improve endurance and burn fat. They can be performed with your body-weight and when you get braver, dumbbells or barbell can be used to do weighted squats that are even better for your body.

If you’ve never squatted before, you might be a bit intimidated about the idea of starting a big new exercise. Let’s get down (pun not intended) to the basics of correct posture:

The basic body-weight squat

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, hips stacked over knees, and knees over ankles. Roll your shoulders back and down away from the ears. Try to straighten your back as it’s important to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.

Extend your arms out straight so they are parallel with the ground, palms facing down (like your hands are on someone’s shoulders).

When the butt starts to stick out (like you’re aiming to sit down on a chair but you actually won’t rest your butt on the seat), arms remain stretched forward and eyes looking to the front. Squat down until your hip joint is lower than your knees. 

Try and hold your tummy in, and your bodyweight in your heels. It is important that your back remains straight, spine neutral and knees should not go beyond your feet. Stand up again with the effort being made by your heels.

If you like you can add weight to your squat. Hold a single dumbbell in both hands in front of your chest. When you get stronger you can increase weight with another dumbbell, or use a barbell on your shoulders.

Goblet squat

Hold a dumbbell (that you can comfortably lift) close to your chest and go straight down without your butt aiming for a seat. Then come straight up. These are great for beginners as holding the weight gives your movement stability and there is hardly any need for you to lean forward.

Front squat

The front squat can be done with a dumbbell in each hand, resting gently on your shoulders. If you are using a barbell, it rests just above you collar bones and your elbows stick out in the front.

Back squat

These are generally performed using a barbell that rests on your upper back muscles or the traps (short form for trapezius) The arms form a W on the barbell. Inhale when you go down and exhale on your way up.

The back and the front squat stress different muscles of the body and once you get the hang of squatting your workout should include both types.

Due to the fact that all of our bodies are different, even our “perfect” squat may not look exactly the same — someone with longer legs, for example, will squat slightly differently than someone with shorter legs. There are mobility issues that people are working on so if your squat looks different than someone else’s don’t worry too much as long as you are not making the following mistakes:

Knee positioning: Make sure knees track along your toes.

Back positioning: Your chest should be up and your shoulders should be back. 

Eyes and face: Must look in front to keep a neutral spine.

If the above sounds complicated, just squat back into a chair until you feel strong enough to squat without it. n

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 15th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play