Squats are not just about glutes. They are a functional exercise that helps to strengthen your legs as well as your core. Doing squats daily reduces your risk of injuring your knee and ankles especially during winters when risks of falling are higher.
Benefits of squats:
· Intensify the strength in the muscles of your thighs.
· Repairs hamstring tear.
· Makes your ligaments and tendons stronger.
· Boosts bone mineral density.
· Improves flexibility.
· Improves posture.
· Helps gain stability in her knees.
· Strengthen your spine.
Doing squats daily helps to ease up your daily tasks and routine and also helps to improve your balance and mobility. This is one way of preventing ACL injuries. Check our blog “The Best Ways to Prevent ACL Injuries” to know more about ACL injuries.
Here are some of the 5 best and most effective squat exercises:
1. Side-kick squats:
Let’s begin with some simple squats!
For this exercise of squats, you will need:
– Good running shoes
– Yoga matt
– And lots of water
1. you want to start by doing some basic squats 5 times.
2. Now, when you come up from your basic squats position, you want to kick your right leg up as high as possible.
3. And drop down immediately to the basic squats position.
4. Repeat this 10 times on each leg and move to the next exercise.
These types of squats improve the flexibility in your legs by stretching the muscles of your thighs. The ligaments of the knee also strengthen by keeping the patella well in place.
2. Rectangle squats:
For this set of squats, you want to begin by positioning yourself:
1. Stand with your spine straight and legs far apart from each other. Maybe a bit away from shoulder’s length.
2. Make sure your toes are facing to the sides and not the front.
3. Place your hands on your hip and begin bending your knees i.e., squats.
4. Ensure that your back is arched straight!
These types of squats will help stretch your hamstring and muscles of the calf and eventually promote the flexibility of your legs.
3. Bosu-ball Squats:
What you need for this exercise:
– Bosu ball: which is a semi-circular ball with the half surface flat and another half ball.
– Good pair of running shoes
– Assistance/ Hand support
You want to first begin by relaxing your muscles by shaking off your hands and legs and drinking some water. (Resting for a minute or 2 is ideal as well.)
1. You want to place the Bosu ball upside down i.e., not on the flat surface, and keep the flat for yourself to stand on.
2. Step on the flat surface of the Bosu ball and try to balance by holding someone’s hand or taking the support of a wall/pole.
3. You can start with 10 basic squats with support or without support, whichever is the best for you to begin with.
4. Later, you can try to squat on one leg with the other leg stretched in the front.
5. You can take support with your hands and eventually try without any support.
6. Repeat this exercise 10 times on each leg.
The benefit of squats with Bosu ball is that they help to develop a stronger core, improve balance, and develop stability of the ankles, knees, and legs.
4. Curtsy squats:
What you need for this exercise:
– Good pair of shoes
– Yoga mat
– And a good smile!
7. Start by loosening up your body muscles by shaking off your legs and arms.
8. Stand straight with your feet apart at a shoulder’s length.
9. Place your hands on your hip and begin with sliding your right foot behind your left diagonally.
10. When doing step (3), bend for squats aiming to touch the ground gently with your right knee.
11. Come back up to position (2) and repeat this exercise with the same leg 10 times.
12. Repeat the same for the other leg.
Curtsy squats help to strengthen your thigh muscles and especially your hamstrings. These also work best to improve the overall stability by increasing the agility of your ankles in case of sudden falls.
5. Bulgarian Split Squats:
What you need for this exercise:
– Stool/bench
– Dumbbells (1kg/2lbs)
1. To begin with this series of squats you want to position yourself in front of the stool with dumbbells in each hand.
2. Rest your right foot on the bench behind you at a distance of 1 foot or 30 cms from your left foot, comfortable enough to be able to perform squats
3. Keep your back/spine straight and chest open.
4. Now, squat down on your left leg along with pushing your body weight up with the help of your right ankle.
5. Repeat this for 10 sides on each foot.
This type of squat helps to strengthen your ankle and knee and also contributes to shaping your glutes and burning fats in your thigh region.
At Care2Cure Physiotherapy & Rehab Centre, build strength and mobility within 10 sessions with a personalized plan of exercises that is best just for you!
Book an appointment with a physiotherapist and know the right exercises for your lower limbs today!
Call us on 613-695-7733
Or email us at info@care2curephysiotherapy.com.
