Dreaming of a perkier bum? Well you’re not alone as the squat has been revealed as the UK’s favourite exercise.
It shapes and tones - and helps in the athletics arena. In short, the squat exercise is a great all-rounder.
In order to enhance physical well-being and the quality of later years, Age UK is urging people to make minor, proactive changes and asking people to track their improvements.
The study from the organisation shows that squatting is the nation's favourite exercise, with 20 per cent of Brits doing the exercise on a regular basis.
Lunges (14 per cent) are the second most popular exercise, while 11 per cent of people have said they use cans or jars to keep themselves in shape.
And in terms of the most hated: over one in three people (36 per cent) say they dislike push-ups, this is followed by burpees (29 per cent), planks (24 per cent) and chin-ups (24 per cent).
But how do you do a squat with good technique and what are some of the key areas we should be focusing on?
When performing the squat, there are 3 key points to remember:
1. Maintain a neutral spine
Excessive bending of the spine throughout the squat will lead to unnecessary stress being placed on the joints. If left unchecked, this can cause injury. Keep the spine straight by looking straight ahead and not allowing the chest to drop as you go down.
At the final position (deep squat) you should notice a locking at the hip. This is your limit and pushing any further will bend and overload the lower lumbar spine. From the final position, squeeze the bum and extend through the hips to return to standing.
2. The sole of the foot should be grounded throughout the movement
This remains an easy guide to focus on throughout the movement. If your weight shifts too far forward or backward, or indeed the knees roll inward, pressure will change at the sole of the foot. Notice where you are in the standing posture, and try to maintain this throughout.
3. The bum should be doing most of the work
The squat is all about hip flexion and extension (bending and straightening). If you extend strongly from the hip, you will be performing a good squat. You’ll notice the glutes the most at the mid point of the movement, or the full seat. At this point, you want to squeeze the bum and extend through the hips. This will bring you back up to a standing posture.
