When you’re trying to get stronger, leaner, and fitter, it’s easy to overlook another important aspect of health and fitness – flexibility. However, having a good range of motion in your joints is crucial for overall mobility and injury prevention. When you’re not as flexible, your muscles are tighter and shorter, thereby placing you at higher risk of injury.
While many stretching exercises can help improve flexibility, one surprising approach stands out: squatting. Yes, this familiar lower body exercise, renowned for building strength, can also do wonders for your flexibility. Let’s explore how incorporating squats into your routine can enhance your range of motion and unlock new levels of flexibility.
The Connection between Squats and Flexibility:
At first glance, squats might not seem like an obvious choice for enhancing flexibility. However, squats engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, promoting increased flexibility and mobility in several areas.
As Bran Christensen, a professor in biomechanics who studies the squat, “For lower-body strength and flexibility, there is probably no better exercise.” That’s saying a lot! You not only need flexibility and mobility to squat but doing the exercise can improve flexibility and mobility.
Why are squats so beneficial? Squats require deep hip flexion, which stretches the hip flexor muscles in the front of your hips. These muscles become tight due to prolonged sitting or sedentary lifestyles. By regularly performing squats, you can counteract this tightness and gradually improve your hip flexibility.
Proper squatting technique also involves bending at the knees and ankles, which places emphasis on ankle flexibility. As you descend into a squat, you mobilize your ankle joints allowing for a greater range of motion. Over time, this increased ankle mobility can positively impact your overall flexibility.
Techniques to Enhance Flexibility through Squats:
To maximize the benefits of squats for flexibility, focus on proper form and technique. To get the most flexibility and mobility from squats, here are some guidelines.
Use a Gradual Squat Progression
Start with bodyweight squats and gradually add resistance. This progression allows your muscles and joints to adapt gradually, reducing the risk of injury. Begin with bodyweight squats and add resistance as your flexibility improves. Using this approach promotes long-term success while minimizing the risk of injury.
Starting with bodyweight squats allows your muscles and joints to become familiar with the movement pattern and develop a solid foundation. Plus, you can master proper form and technique before adding dumbbells or a barbell. Use proper posture, engage your core muscles, and track your knees in line with your toes as you descend into the squat. By focusing on these fundamental aspects, you establish a solid base of stability and control.
As your flexibility and strength increase, gradually introduce additional resistance to your squatting routine.
Aim for Full Range of Motion
Aim to perform squats through their complete range of motion. In other words, partial squats won’t boost your flexibility as much as doing a full squat. To maximize flexibility gains, lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground and even lower as your mobility allows. Going deeper into the squat will stretch your muscles further, promoting greater flexibility. Even better, work toward doing deep squats using good form. The deeper you go into a squat, the more flexible you’ll become.
Dynamic Stretching
Before launching into squats, begin with dynamic stretches that target the muscle group you use when you squat. Examples include walking lunges, leg swings, or hip circles. These dynamic stretches stretch your muscles, increase blood flow, and prepare them for the upcoming exercise. By including dynamic stretches in your routine, you’ll improve your squatting performance, reduce the risk of injury, and ultimately, reach your fitness goals.
Include Squat Variations
Experiment with different squat variations to target specific muscle groups and increase flexibility in diverse areas. Examples include goblet squats, sumo squats, or Bulgarian split squats. Each variation places a unique demand on your muscles, promoting flexibility through different angles and ranges of motion. The Bulgarian split squat is an excellent variation for maximizing flexibility since it stretches the hip flexor of your rear leg when you descend into the squat.
Combine Squats with Other Approaches to Boost Flexibility
Squatting will improve flexibility but combine it with other approaches to boost your flexibility more. Here are a few suggestions to complement your squatting routine:
After each squatting session and at the end of your routine, devote time to static stretching. Static stretching involves holding a stretch for a prolonged period, typically around 30 seconds to a minute, to lengthen and relax the muscles. Focus on the muscle groups involved in squats, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.
Include stretches like the standing quad stretch, seated hamstring stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, and seated figure-four stretch. Performing these stretches when your muscles are warm and pliable from the squatting session can further enhance your flexibility gains.
Integrate yoga or Pilates into your routine for added flexibility benefits. These practices incorporate various stretching poses and movements that promote flexibility, balance, and body awareness. Yoga poses like the Downward Dog, Warrior II, and Pigeon Pose target the lower body muscles and can complement the effects of squats. Similarly, Pilates exercises like the Swan, Leg Circles, and Spine Stretch Forward engage the core and promote spinal mobility, enhancing your flexibility.
Don’t forget about foam rolling. Adding foam rolling or self-myofascial release techniques to your routine can help release muscle tension and improve flexibility. Use a foam roller or massage ball to apply pressure to different muscle groups, focusing on areas that feel tight or restricted. Roll slowly and deliberately, allowing the pressure to release any knots or trigger points in your muscles. This technique helps increase blood flow, relax muscles, and improve flexibility.
Perform mobility exercises that target the ankles, hips, and spine to optimize your range of motion. Ankle circles, hip rotations, and spinal twists are examples of mobility exercises that help loosen the joints, improve their mobility, and complement the effects of squats on flexibility.
Be Consistent
Improving flexibility takes time and consistent effort. Make squats a regular part of your fitness routine, aiming for at least two to three sessions per week. Combine squats with other stretching exercises and mobility work for a well-rounded flexibility routine.
Conclusion
Squats are a strength builder but they can also boost your flexibility. By incorporating squats into your workout routine, you can stretch and strengthen multiple muscle groups while promoting greater range of motion in your joints. Remember to prioritize proper form, gradually progress your resistance, and stay consistent with your squatting routine. Over time, you’ll find yourself moving with increased ease and enjoying the benefits of improved flexibility in your daily life.
References:
Witvrouw E, Mahieu N, Danneels L, McNair P. Stretching and injury prevention: an obscure relationship. Sports Med. 2004;34(7):443-9. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200434070-00003. PMID: 15233597.
Live Science. (2023). Retrieved 27 May 2023, from https://www.livescience.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-squats
“INFLUENCE OF SQUAT EXERCISES ON FLEXIBILITY AND CORE STRENGTH … – IJCRT.” https://www.ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2006652.pdf.
The Power of the Squat. (2023). Retrieved 29 May 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/well/how-to-do-squats.html
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