The squat is one of the most fundamental human movements, deeply woven into daily life and physical competence. Whether lowering yourself to sit, picking up an object, or resting in a deep squat, this movement reflects functional mobility, strength and overall physical resilience.
Mastering the squat can profoundly impact healthy aging and maintaining independence, making it a cornerstone of lifelong vitality. Squatting supports health in the here and now, sports and activities, from hiking and running to skiing.
In this article we will examine some of the benefits and how to get started or to improve your ability to lower and rise from a squat. As ever, please talk to your doctor or medical practitioner most familiar with your medical history before implementing any changes in diet, exercise or lifestyle, especially if you are under treatment. A personal trainer can also help with technique and specific skills.
Who Can Benefit from Bodyweight Squats?
In simplistic terms 'exercise is good for everyone' but due to their foundational, functional nature, 'simple' squats can support health for most, including...
Office Workers: Combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting, such as stiffness, poor circulation and lower back pain, by incorporating squats into daily routines.
Older Adults: Maintain strength, mobility and balance to reduce the risk of falls and enhance independence in daily activities.
Athletes: Improve foundational strength, power, and endurance for better performance in sports. Runners, if you are not already doing strength training, squats are a great place to start.
New Parents: Build the strength needed for everyday tasks like lifting children or carrying items, reducing strain on the lower back.
Individuals Recovering from Injury: With proper guidance, squats can help rebuild lower-body strength and mobility post-rehabilitation.
Beginners to Exercise: Bodyweight squats are accessible, low-impact and adaptable; making them a perfect starting point for building fitness.
Why Squatting Matters
How well can you squat? Can you lower yourself into a deep squat, rise smoothly, and repeat the motion under control?
The ability to squat and rest in a deep squat is a marker of joint flexibility and stability in the hips, knees and ankles. In many cultures, deep squatting is a natural resting posture that fosters hip mobility, core engagement, and joint health. Yet, in sedentary lifestyles, this ability often diminishes, leading to stiffness, weakness and reduced physical competence.
Beyond static squatting, dynamic squats across a full range of motion build leg strength, engage core stabilisers and improve balance. Regular bodyweight squats enhance muscular endurance, coordination, and even countering the negative effects of prolonged sitting.
Studies suggest that squats, in the form of exercise snacks, can support blood sugar control and mental performance. For older adults, the ability to rise from a squat is strongly linked to functional independence and a lower risk of falls. Simple tests like the Sit-to-Rise Test can offer insights into your current functional fitness.
From a healthy aging perspective, getting your behind close to the floor and back up repeatedly, represents practical fitness. It can counteract the risks associated with sedentary behaviour. Squats strengthen the muscles and joints needed for everyday tasks, like standing from the floor and promoting bone density through weight-bearing movement. Incorporating squats into daily routines is an easy, accessible way to preserve physical competence and long-term vitality.
This video summarises the key issues and provides some inspiration to get started...
'Daily Activity' Squat Routine
At home or the office, bodyweight squats require no equipment, nor even to leave the room that you are in. A basic conditioning routine, to break up sedentary behaviour and make basic physical progress might look like this:
Establish Your Baseline. Perform as many squats as you can with good form, lowering yourself as far as comfortable and rising under control. Keep your feet flat on the ground. If you struggle, hold onto a doorframe. When you start losing good form, Stop. Note down the number of quality squats.
Squat / Workout Days. Complete one set of squats, every hour, for a total of 2 to 4 sets daily. How many sets really depends on what your baseline is.
Rest Days. Alternate workout days with rest days. Allow sufficient recovery until any soreness subsides, especially when starting. This regimen is not a health challenge, it is to develop consistency and and make progress over time.
Progression. Gradually add sets or more squats. With consistency, you’ll see improvement especially over a month or two. You may then feel ready to take on board more challenging variations like the Hindu squat, jumping squats or other exercises.
This is not a routine that specifically targets strength, endurance or power. There are other training methods to achieve these specific goals. We enjoy this routine for general conditioning, as an exercise snack, and as a starting point to develop other skills.
A Gateway to Greater Health
Mastering the squat is about more than exercise, it’s about reclaiming a natural human movement that enhances physical freedom and independence. As you build strength and mobility through squats, you will create a foundation to explore more advanced exercises.
Developing the ability to do squats also creates mental resilience, it creates the ability and experience to build healthier habits. A foundation, a platform, to develop greater health.
Ready to challenge yourself and take your squatting to the next level? Let’s tackle this essential skill together.
Contact us and state "Squat" in the User Code section of the form. We'll be in touch with details about our short term programme to get started.
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Related Studies
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Gao Y, Li QY, Finni T, Pesola AJ. Enhanced muscle activity during interrupted sitting improves glycemic control in overweight and obese men. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024 Apr;34(4):e14628. doi: 10.1111/sms.14628. PMID: 38629807.
Jones MD, Clifford BK, Stamatakis E, Gibbs MT. Exercise Snacks and Other Forms of Intermittent Physical Activity for Improving Health in Adults and Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Epidemiological, Experimental and Qualitative Studies. Sports Med. 2024 Apr;54(4):813-835. doi: 10.1007/s40279-023-01983-1. Epub 2024 Jan 8. PMID: 38190022.
Nuzzo JL, Pinto MD, Kirk BJC, Nosaka K. Resistance Exercise Minimal Dose Strategies for Increasing Muscle Strength in the General Population: an Overview. Sports Med. 2024 May;54(5):1139-1162. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02009-0. Epub 2024 Mar 20. PMID: 38509414; PMCID: PMC11127831.
Horiuchi M, Pomeroy A, Horiuchi Y, Stone K, Stoner L. Effects of intermittent exercise during prolonged sitting on executive function, cerebrovascular, and psychological response: a randomized crossover trial. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2023 Dec 1;135(6):1421-1430. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00437.2023. Epub 2023 Nov 9. PMID: 37942532.
Wei W, Zhu J, Ren S, Jan YK, Zhang W, Su R, He L. Effects of progressive body-weight versus barbell back squat training on strength, hypertrophy and body fat among sedentary young women. Sci Rep. 2023 Aug 19;13(1):13505. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-40319-x. PMID: 37598268; PMCID: PMC10439966.
Islam H, Gibala MJ, Little JP. Exercise Snacks: A Novel Strategy to Improve Cardiometabolic Health. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2022 Jan 1;50(1):31-37. doi: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000275. PMID: 34669625.
Mear E, Gladwell VF, Pethick J. The Effect of Breaking Up Sedentary Time with Calisthenics on Neuromuscular Function: A Preliminary Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 7;19(21):14597. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192114597. PMID: 36361476; PMCID: PMC9653850.
Ahmadi MN, Clare PJ, Katzmarzyk PT, Del Pozo Cruz B, Lee IM, Stamatakis E. Vigorous physical activity, incident heart disease, and cancer: how little is enough? Eur Heart J. 2022 Dec 7;43(46):4801-4814. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac572. PMID: 36302460; PMCID: PMC9726449.
Moore DR, Williamson EP, Hodson N, Estafanos S, Mazzulla M, Kumbhare D, Gillen JB. Walking or body weight squat "activity snacks" increase dietary amino acid utilization for myofibrillar protein synthesis during prolonged sitting. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2022 Sep 1;133(3):777-785. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00106.2022. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35952344.
Homer AR, Taylor FC, Dempsey PC, Wheeler MJ, Sethi P, Townsend MK, Grace MS, Green DJ, Cohen ND, Larsen RN, Kingwell BA, Owen N, Dunstan DW. Frequency of Interruptions to Sitting Time: Benefits for Postprandial Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2021 Jun;44(6):1254-1263. doi: 10.2337/dc20-1410. Epub 2021 Apr 26. PMID: 33905343; PMCID: PMC8247505.
Yoshiko A, Watanabe K. Impact of home-based squat training with two-depths on lower limb muscle parameters and physical functional tests in older adults. Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 25;11(1):6855. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-86030-7. Erratum in: Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 29;11(1):15802. PMID: 33767255; PMCID: PMC7994411.
Lavie CJ, Ozemek C, Carbone S, Katzmarzyk PT, Blair SN. Sedentary Behavior, Exercise, and Cardiovascular Health. Circ Res. 2019 Mar;124(5):799-815. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.312669. PMID: 30817262.
Jenkins EM, Nairn LN, Skelly LE, Little JP, Gibala MJ. Do stair climbing exercise "snacks" improve cardiorespiratory fitness? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2019 Jun;44(6):681-684. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2018-0675. Epub 2019 Jan 16. PMID: 30649897.
Jump Squats
Marián V, Katarína L, Dávid O, Matúš K, Simon W. Improved Maximum Strength, Vertical Jump and Sprint Performance after 8 Weeks of Jump Squat Training with Individualized Loads. J Sports Sci Med. 2016 Aug 5;15(3):492-500. PMID: 27803628; PMCID: PMC4974862.
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