There’s nothing quite like the lyrical sound of a young child’s spirited laughter. It is with great amusement and fascination that I watch my little nephew Benji, at the tender age of a year-and-a-half, tirelessly chuck things about, insert random stuff inside other random stuff and generally get up to all manner of mischievous misdemeanors.
As he busily engrosses himself in what appears to be such very important work, I cannot help but notice how often he knocks out the sort of picture-perfect squat we adults would most certainly rupture some deep hip muscle in a vain attempt to replicate.
Paradoxically, squatting correctly is, for adults at least, quite a complex and challenging skill to master. While we describe elementary tasks as being easy enough for babies to perform, squatting is painfully simple for them, and simply painful for us. Muscles start out so wonderfully pliable and flexible, only to grow tight over time as we grow up. Babies and toddlers effortlessly exhibit the type of suppleness we should all crave.
As we go about our daily lives performing the same movements in the same way over and over again, muscles adapt to the ranges of movement they are required to exploit, and no more. So if we stop exploiting full ranges of movement about our major joints, then we lose the ability to do so, and with it the flexibility we were essentially born with.
When we sit down on a chair for instance, as many of us do so often and for so long, core muscles are not activated, causing them to weaken over time. Various muscles around the hips and legs, namely the hip flexors and hamstrings, are also kept in a shortened state, causing them to become tight over time. In many parts of Asia people tend to more frequently use the resting squat position, or in other words, some of the time we would spend sitting on chairs, they simply fold down and sit comfortably on their calves. Similarly in Japan, a number of traditional sitting and kneeling positions are frequently used, which are more conducive with retaining physical function than our equivalent in the West.
Of course, just like little Benji, we all start out performing near-perfect squats naturally and instinctively to pick stuff up or linger at a low level. What makes the crucial difference is the fact that at some point, we stop. Sitting on chairs too much is indeed a major culprit for disrupting squatting ability, but so is the general level of inactivity that prevents us from engaging in the sort of movements that would promote good general flexibility and keep all our joints working the way they have evolved to work.
Squatting correctly is, for adults, quite a complex and challenging skill to master
So what do Benji and his baby buddies do so well that we can’t, and why does it matter? Part of the duties of the muscles around the hips and core is to support and stabilise the torso, or more specifically to hold the pelvis in the right position in relation to the spine, which itself should preferably maintain its neutral S-shaped position as seen from the side.
The two structures are connected and when they are aligned, the whole system can function effectively and efficiently. If specific muscles are tight, they can cause the two structures to lose alignment, which in turn causes other related muscles to function in ways they are not designed or adapted to work. These are just some of the reasons why we develop drawn-out, overuse injuries and nagging aches and pains around the body.
The most common problem when most adults squat is caused by tight hamstrings, which pull the bottom rear end of the pelvis down during the descent phase, in turn causing the back to bend too. When the back bends, we’re off balance and overall technique generally falls apart.
In babies and toddlers, flexible hamstrings do not pull the pelvis out of position in relation to the spine, allowing the two structures to function as one unit. When they function as one unit and everything is held in the right place, the right muscles are allowed to do their work in the right way, producing force efficiently and cutting down our risk of injury through their incorrect use.
The tighter all these muscles get, the more likely they are to affect posture in other positions too. Generally poor posture has been linked with a range of issues including aches, pains, back problems and headaches.
By learning and conditioning ourselves to squat correctly, thus regaining the suppleness of our early youth and subsequently peppering our regular routine with squats either with or without added weight can go a long way towards improving overall function. They will help strengthen and stretch key muscles of the legs, hips, core and back, and given so many muscles are activated, also serve to raise the heart rate providing a moderate cardiovascular workout too, which is good for heart and lung health.
To squat right, keep your feet flat on the floor, feeling your weight acting predominantly rearwards towards your heels. As you sit, your back should remain as straight as possible as seen from the side. The moment it starts to bend and your weight starts shifting forward off your heels and towards your toes, then you’ve reached your maximum range.
Try to increase your depth with time, concentrating on keeping your chest up (and thus your back straighter) and heels stuck to the floor at all times.
A little extra stretching for the hamstrings and hip muscles will also help you along, but pure baby squats alone are as a good a start as any towards a fitter and more youthful you.
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