Squatting and walking...
If there are two movements you shouldn't take for granted, it's how to squat and how to walk. Think about how many times you sit and stand each day and how often you walk. Do both with poor mechanics for long enough and it shouldn't be much of a surprise that your knees and low back are in chronic pain and you're having conversations with a doctor about joint replacements.
How a person walks can tell you a lot, but a full butt to ankles squat? Now that's just gold when it comes to identifying problems and understanding where to begin to correct them. In today's video I'll be showing you how to improve your squat mobility in three drills that will take you no longer than 6 minutes! But before we get to the video here's the important thing to understand...
No mobility drill can make up for consistently poor movement patterning! So here's a short list to run through and check your form:
- Foot placement - If you're taller or looking to lift more weight, a wide stance is where you want to be. For all-purpose use, just wider than the shoulders will do the trick.
- Vertical shins - When you lower and rise from the squat your movement should load the hips and hamstrings, not your knees! The very first movement of a squat is actually a small hip hinge. If your knees bend first you take your powerful posterior chain out of the movement and place a lot of shear on the knees.
- Balanced feet - Screw your feet into the ground and distribute the weight in the center of your foot. Screwing the foot into the floor is generated by external rotation of the hips. When you're setting your feet think butt eating shorts or trying to hold a penny between your cheeks (whichever imagery works best for you)! This puts the weight just in front of my ankles with my natural arches in tact and three points of contact from each foot (1st metatarsal, 5th metatarsal, and heels).
- Stable shoulder - To create a stable shoulder, hug your spinal column with your shoulder blades flexing the upper back. Depending on the type of squat the arm positioning will change, but the glenohumeral joint (ball and socket) of the shoulder should always be put in external rotation.
- Core braced - Lastly, the balanced feet need to be connected to the stable shoulders through abdominal engagement. One of the most common mistakes during the initial movement of a squat is over extension of the lumbar spine. This puts the load in your low back and will wreak havoc on your performance of the movement overall.
And that was the short list...
