UAE Mums: SQUATS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND

If you are into exercising and workouts, you will be familiar with those miscreants called ‘The Squats’

They are by far the most misunderstood of exercises, yet the best ones for a woman’s body.

From a layman’s prospective, squats are the most boring and difficult exercises ever invented. But from a professional point of view, they truly are a girl’s best friend.

Those extra accumulated pounds around our love-handles are the hardest to fight, aren’t they?

Well, let me tell you my friend that this problem can be easily fixed and here I am giving you the perfect solution for it.

But, hold on a second. Before I introduce you all to the workings and benefits of squats, let me share with you a story:

‘Once upon a time, there was a chubby little girl whose parents enrolled her in Taekwondo at school. Initially, she was ecstatic at the idea of being a part of the cool crowd who strutted around the campus in their white PJ’s and overlapping jackets with the coolest looking belts knotted around their waists.

The first day when she wore her uniform with her head held high, she felt like a completely different person. Every regular uniform gawked at her with admiration in their eyes as if congratulating her on the start of her beautiful journey.

With a huge smile plastered on her face, the girl joined her fellow team members in the school’s courtyard where they all were in plain sight of the whole student body. Her instructor, a robust man, commanded them all to fall in a line formation.

With high expectations in her heart, Ms Chubby waited eagerly for her trainer to call the first move.

The trainer began by shouting out instructions on body alignment and foot placement and when he was satisfied, he instructed something that changed all of them for what seemed like a very long time. The basic stance used in Taekwondo. He shouted:

The one hour that followed was a torture in itself and the following day all hell broke loose when the poor girl and her whole team could not sit properly without grunting “Oo Aa Ouch”

But, after the initial muscular pain subsided, Ms chubby saw such wonderful positive changes in her physique that she fell in love with her most hated move. Her dearly beloved Squats.'

Well, if you haven’t already guessed, that former chubby girl is currently busy expressing her love of fitness to all her readers and she hopes you will agree with her as well.

Definition:

A squat is a combination of two body motions. Where one is performed in the direction of the gravitational pull, the other is a complete opposite. In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains the lower body preliminarily.

Squats are considered a vital exercise for developing and increasing core strength and natural balance.

Target Muscles:

Thighs, hips, buttocks, quads, hamstrings, legs, lower back, the upper back, the abdominals, the trunk muscles and the costal muscles as well as strengthening of the bones, ligaments and tendons throughout the lower body.

Benefits:

Squat exercises are great for a total body workout. Doing squats on a regular basis can give us the perfect bum, toned legs and increased flexibility.
Adding squats to your daily routine will help avoid loose skin, especially when we are in the early stages of weight loss.
Squatting exercises will help burn more fat by developing more muscle fibers.
They help prevent injuries by improving our flexibility and balance.
Squats make us sweat extensively which gets rid of toxins in our body and improves blood circulation, making our skin, hair and nails healthier and more vibrant.
Squat exercise strengthens our core and balances the body’s center of gravity. This is essential for body shaping and proper muscle formations.

If done in pregnancy, squats ensure a safe, easy and smooth delivery.
They are highly effective in treatment of hemorrhoids.
Full squatting eliminates pelvic hernias that are caused during delivery due to straining.
Squatting also helps eliminate the toxins present in the colon and so the baby develops in a cleaner and healthier environment.
Squats strengthen the lower body and help build power in the abdomen. They also lower the pressure on the uterus.
The birth canal becomes fully dilated when we perform squats during pregnancy. They also help in avoiding tearing and protect the pelvic floor.
Squats are known to help shorten the duration of labor as well.

Note: Though there are various benefits in doing squats during pregnancy, however, there are some precautions to be taken. It is better to consult your doctor or caregiver before attempting any such exercises. There will be plenty of strain on the ligaments surrounding the knees while doing squats, so they have to be attempted with caution.

Exercise Equipment Required:

A stable surface, proper shoes, light weights or a bar-bell (optional)

How to perform a squat:

The movement begins from a standing position. Weights are often used, either in the hand or as a bar braced across the chest or behind the shoulders.

By engaging the core muscles, hips are moved back and down, bending the knees to lower the torso as much as possible, then returning to the upright position.

The depth of the squat varies according to the level of intensity.

As the body gradually descends, the hips and knees undergo flexion, the ankle dorsiflexes and muscles around the joint contract fully, reaching maximal contraction at the bottom of the movement while slowing and reversing descent.

What not to do:

Descending too rapidly and flexing the torso too far forward.Over-flexing the torso greatly increases the forces exerted on the lower back, risking your spine.

When the knee is not aligned with the direction of the toes. The knee should always follow the toe. Have your toes slightly pointed out in order to track the knee properly.

Failing to keep a straight back while performing the squat, resulting in displacement of body’s natural center of gravity and increasing the chance to lose balance.

Few Variations:

There are several ways one can perform squats. Below are a few that are a must try: