BrainStuff Classics: Should You Be Squatting More?

Short answer: Yeah, probably. Most Westerners have traded squatting for sitting and standing, to the detriment of our backs and joints. Learn the benefits of a good squat -- and how you can incorporate them into your day -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff,
Lauren vogel Bomb here with another classic episode for you.
We try not to do too many episodes here that
verge into health and wellness advice, because health and wellness
are really complicated and everybody's body is different, so it's
hard to make generalizations. But this episode is one that

(00:25):
I feel pretty good about for many humans anyway, It's
about squatting. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren vocal bomb here. We've
all heard the grim news sitting is the new smoking.
It's a troubling statement to see repeated in the headlines,
especially since the average office worker sits for about ten
hours every day and Netflix, we love you, but you're

(00:48):
not helping. Not only has excessive sitting been associated with
everything from strained muscles to spinal damage, but research has
shown prolonged sedentary time is associated with harmful health outcomes
regardless of his activity. And while we all put our
faith into standing desks as the obvious antidote, it turns
out that strategy might be doing more harm than good.

(01:09):
There might be a simpler solution that doesn't involve a
fancy office successory or swollen ankles. Squatting. We spoke with
Aria Matlock, a New York based nurse practitioner. She said,
when it comes to the human body, spending too much
time in any single position has a cost. In the West,
today we sit a lot, so it would do us
good to squat a bit more. Jessica Gilbert, a California

(01:33):
based certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, agrees. She
said we should most definitely be squatting more in our
everyday lives for many reasons. The first and most important
is that most people struggle from inactive gluteal muscles glutes
and that can cause low back pain, knee pain, throw
off your posture, and affect your everyday workouts. She says

(01:53):
that squatting for just thirty seconds a few times a
day can strengthen those inactive muscle groups. So why squatting?
You might instead want to ask why not squatting? While
you may not typically see people in the United States
crouching with bent knees butts hovering above their heels, you'll
see that pose on the regular in other countries, particularly
in places where squat toilets where the pan or bowls

(02:15):
at floor level are common, like throughout Asia, India, and Africa,
but people in other parts of the world also commonly
issue chairs to squat when eating, talking, and just generally
hanging out. And while the super low squat you'll see
abroad may look much different than the standard issued gym
move common in the United States, Gilbert says they both
have their rightful place and booty building perks. She said

(02:38):
a typical gym squat and squats in other countries are
all fairly the same, but the depth, range of motion
and uses are different. She explained that a jim squat
will build strength, where squatting in daily life can build endurance.
Mattlock explained that it used to be more common for
people all over the world to give birth and use
the toilet in a squatting position. She said, the less
we squat, the weaker the muscle that make squatting possible

(03:01):
become a lot of fitness routines in yogic practices include
squatting exercises for good reason. Squatting increases leg strength and stability,
gets the blood flowing, warms up the body, and improves
muscle tone without putting excessive pressure on the joints. And
while no one really likes to talk about it that
toilet thing is important, hence the success of the squatty potty.

(03:22):
Victoria Albana, another New York based nurse practitioner and health coach, said,
we definitely should all be squatting to have a bowel movement.
When we're in a fully squatted position, it's a more
natural position for our colon. When the Victorians came up
with the concept of the throne toilet, it was a
big step backward for bowel health. But beyond the bathroom,
squatting has a ton of benefits that non practitioners are

(03:44):
missing out on. Albina said, I also think when we're
squatting all the time to do all sorts of things,
we're engaging our core in our back and engaging a
series of muscles that the average American is no longer engaging.
We're having more back pain than ever before. I don't
think it's a one to one correlation, but we're definitely
sitting more and commuting more, and it's one part of
the picture. While it's a good idea to get your

(04:07):
squad on more often, it's also important to remember that
not all squats are created equal. Mattlck said, rapid, careless
squatting can easily lead to back injuries, so it's important
to engage the core muscles and keep the back straight.
When adding squats to your daily routine, start with slow
movements for one to three minutes and work up to
a faster pace and longer duration. Whether you're squeezing more

(04:29):
squats in for overall health and mobility, or you're really
looking to build some muscle, Gilbert has a few takeaway tips.
She said, always keep the weight of your squats in
your heels, keep your chest up and shoulder blades back.
When you're doing a squat and coming up to the
standing position, always squeeze your butt. If you're leaning forward
or backward in your squats, you're more likely to injure yourself.

(04:50):
So if you're new to working out or just want
to improve your squatting technique, I recommend finding a bench
and practice the sitting and standing technique. Even just taking
a seat and then stay ending up fifteen to twenty
times in a row once a day can make a difference.
It's almost the same idea as the gym technique. Today's

(05:13):
episode is based on the article You Need to Get
your Squad on on how Stuffworks dot Com, written by
Michelle Constantinofsky Brain Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership
with how Stuffworks dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Klang.
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