Just as we should all be eating the foods we were designed to eat, we should also be moving our bodies the way they were meant to move. This is where the squat comes into the equation. In a squat your hips flex, knees bend and ankles dorsiflex in order to rest comfortable. However in this modern world of creature comforts like chairs and
sofas we often forget this vital functional movement we were designed to do. Now before you yell out “why should we squat when we now have chairs?” I know chairs are more comfortable though they do not challenge the way our joints move or place any effort on our glutes or core. Now I don’t expect you all to ditch your chairs and squat in the office
that would be unrealistic. However, from time to time try squatting for a few mins instead
of sitting and notice all the muscles that become engaged. Remember growing up a
child? We would often squat and play on the floor for hours…
On a side note, at Alltone Fitness Personal training Eltham we like our clients to build a
strong physical foundation when is comes to body movement and awareness. Therefore
squats are a big part in most of our clients’ programs.
Squats are a compound exercise. A compound exercise is multi jointed meaning that
more than one muscle group is engaged in that movement. Some other multi jointed
exercises are deadlifts, bench press and bent over rows. These exercises will not only
save you time in the gym but also increase your power and endurance output.
Being a compound exercise, squats increase muscular strength as a number of muscle
groups are working in the one move. Squats strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, quads,
calves, core, and lower back making this the perfect exercise to improve your functional
strength. Squatting also improves bone mineral density along with strengthening the
knee joints protecting you from knee injuries. This occurs as all the ligaments and
tendons are forced to strengthen around the knee joint when squatting. So next time
you’re in the gym make squats a staple in you program, your body will be thanking you
for it.
It is vital to include some form of resistance training to your exercise regime for the
following reason. Resistance training is considered the number one choice for weight
loss. Let me explain why. Is has the greatest effect on your metabolism elevating it well
above your resting metabolic rate. This means that your body in turn becomes a fat
burning machine around the clock. It can take up to twelve hours after an intense
resistance training session for your metabolism to return to its resting state. That means
for those eight hours following your workout your body is burning calories like crazy!
Ensuring that resistance work in included in your personal trainer Eltham and personal
trainer Greensborough is a must. A good balanced training program should be designed
towards your specific fitness goals and ability. This will keep you on track while making
steady progress.