Squats? Again?
I hear that a lot. I do squats with my clients on a daily basis. Not always the same form of squat. It could be a basic dumbbell squat. Or maybe an overhead squat. Perhaps a Bulgarian split squat. But usually there is some form of squat (or two) in every workout.
And they almost always groan and want to know why.
I tell them it’s because we squat every day. Every time you sit down at your desk you’re squatting. If you’re doing it correctly, every time you pick something off the ground or low shelf you’re squatting. Every time you go to the bathroom you’re squatting! Squats are an essential part of our life.
While we may take for granted our ability to do these tasks now, what about as we age? As we get older, we lose lean muscle mass as well as muscle strength and endurance. Getting up out of chairs or climbing stairs becomes more challenging. We become more unstable, unable to get around as we should.
1 in 3 adults age 65 and over will fall each year.
Of those who fall, 20-30% suffer severe to moderate injuries and may not be able to return to independent living.
The average hospitalization cost for a fall is $17,500.
By exercising regularly, and including squats in those workouts, we work all the muscles of the legs. The ones that push us up, the ones that steady us on one leg and the ones that let us climb the stairs. Just as squatting is an essential part of life, squats should be an essential part of your workout routine.
