Why Squatting Matters for Your Health (And How to Get Yours Back)
If you want to improve your squat, start with mobility, not more weight.
Watch a toddler pick up a toy. Feet flat. Hips low. Back straight. No effort at all.
Now watch most adults do the same thing. They bend at the waist, reach with one arm, and push off a knee to get back up.
Same task. Very different body.
Somewhere between age 3 and 40, most of us lose the squat. It didn’t get harder. We just stopped doing it.
That matters, because the squat isn’t a gym move. It’s how we get out of a chair. Off the toilet. Up from the floor. It’s how we lift the laundry basket, the groceries, and the kid who fell asleep in the car. We do it dozens of times a day without a second thought.
How well we squat shapes how easily we move through every one of those moments.
In one study of more than 2,000 adults, the ability to sit down on the floor and get back up without using your hands was linked to how long people live.
Squats build strength where we need it most
A squat works the biggest muscles in the body: glutes, quads, and hamstrings. It also works the deep core muscles that hold up the spine.
Strong legs and hips do the lifting so the lower back doesn’t have to. Every time we bend to pick something up, those muscles decide where the load goes. Weak hips send it to the back.
That matters more every year.
Squatting keeps hips, knees, and ankles moving
A deep, easy squat needs ankles, knees, and hips that bend all the way.
Hours of sitting stiffen them. Desk, car, couch. So the body finds a workaround. It bends at the lower back instead. That’s often where the strain shows up.
Squatting often keeps those joints moving through their full range. Use it or lose it is a cliché because it’s true.
The squat protects independence as we age
Try this. Sit on the floor. Now stand up without using your hands.
Easy? Good. Hard? Pay attention to that.
Getting up from a chair or the floor with no hands is one of the clearest signs of independence as we age. It’s the difference between getting off the floor after playing with grandkids and needing help to do it.
The squat is how we train it. What we do at 45 shows up at 75.
Squats may help keep bones strong
Bones respond to load. Squats load the hips and spine in a healthy way. Over time, that may help keep bones dense, especially with good food and regular activity.
How to start squatting again
No gym. No heavy weights. A good squat starts with body weight, good form, and showing up.
The four exercises below build it in order. Mobility first. Then control. Then depth. A few minutes, a few times a week.
Part 1: Start here
Do these first. These are the simplest ways to improve your squat and see where you’re getting stuck.
Part 2: Build on it
Add these once Part 1 feels comfortable. This is where you start to improve your squat depth.
Part 3: Add control
Go slowly. Getting the position right matters more than how many reps you do.
Part 4: Put it together
Finish with these. Practise all four a few times a week to keep working to improve your squat.
When a stiff squat is a sign of something more
If these exercises don’t improve your squat within a few weeks, something else may be limiting you.
Some squats are limited by tight muscles. Practice fixes those.
Others are limited by a joint that isn’t moving well, or a spine that’s compensating for something deeper. More practice won’t fix those. It just repeats the workaround.
If squatting hurts, or you have a knee, hip, or back problem, check with your chiropractor or health care provider before starting a new routine. At Synergy Wellness Group, we look at how your spine, hips and joints move together during a consultation and exam. If something is holding your squat back, we’ll find it.
Dr. Michael Gibson has committed himself to helping others to live the best life possible. After graduating with a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and Masters of Science in Chiropractic Sports Science from Life University. He is the co-creator of Life By Design, and co-owner of Synergy Wellness Group. His passion for empowering families runs deep. After experiencing the loss of his sister due to illness, Michael’s purpose became reaching and teaching as many as possible the foundational principles of an extraordinary life. Since that time, he has passionately pursued and been successful in living out his dream. He maintains a busy family chiropractic practice, a full speaking schedule, and finds time to implement the principles and practices of Life By Design in his own life.
