Try These Simple Squats During the July Competition
Squats can be as heavy or light as you want. If you do 100 exercises a day, you may need to relax a little to be able to get back on track without hurting yourself too much. And if you’re a beginner, you may find the simplest squat more than challenging enough. Here are some options to try:
Air squats
These are simple old squats that have no weight other than your own body. It’s worth paying attention to your shape, because if you get into bad habits here, you’ll be more prone to injury if you switch to weighted squats or even do a ton of air squats. You also won’t get such a good workout.This video from NerdFitness shows you the key points to focus on:
In short, they are:
- Feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
- Keep your chest forward (extend your arms so you don’t forget)
- Don’t let your knees fall
- But it’s okay if your knees are slightly in front of your toes.
For a quick guide, try the Kaia Perfect Squat iOS app. It uses your phone’s camera to train you when you are doing very shallow and light squats, and tires you if your feet are over your toes. This can help if you are starting from scratch, but don’t rely too much on it; he has a very narrow idea of what the “perfect” squat is , and this is not always true.
Sitting on the wall
If regular squats are too difficult, try using a wall for support. You can slide your back against the wall and “sit” in the invisible chair for as long as you want – sort of like the squatting option of holding the board for as long as possible.
Another great option is to place a gymnastic ball between your back and a wall. The ball helps you stay upright and in good shape, and makes balancing a little easier. Your glute can tilt back under the ball as you get to the end of the movement, giving you a position very similar to what you would do with a regular air squat.
Chair pose
Yoga has its own answer to squatting: utkatasana, chair pose. (Or, if you don’t go down that low, “lightning pose,” because that’s the shape your body takes.)
In a chair pose, you usually stand with your feet touching and slowly lower yourself into a squat-like position while keeping your back as high as possible and your arms over your head. The video above, from Yoga with Adrienne, gives a detailed description of the pose, how to enter it, and how to get in good shape.
So this is the first week of our squat competition! How are you? What types of squats have you done or are you going to do? I do air squats, sink deep enough for my fingertips to touch the floor, and aim to do 100 exercises every day. (I usually split them into several groups.) How about you?