It’s important to stay active no matter your age. The human body is meant to move, that’s why we have all of these joints, tendons, muscles and bones. There are tons of benefits to exercising, including increased range of motion, increased energy, lower stress, better sleep and a whole lot more. But specific exercises target specific areas of the body. Push ups target the arms, shoulders and back. Crunches target the abdominal muscles. And squats target your glutes and thighs. But do squats benefits stop there? Let’s find out.
1. Strengthen Your Core
There are tons of benefits that come with strengthening your core. Your core is what helps to hold you upright. It’s the source of every movement you can and will ever do. Your core is made up of deep muscles, much deeper than the muscles we typically focus on. Your transverse abdominals, pelvic floor, diaphragm and many others make up your core and they benefit from regular maintenance. Doing squats involves the majority of your body’s muscles, including many of your core muscles as they work to stabilize your body as you squat.
2. Major Calorie Burner
Because squats involve so many large muscles and because there are so many variations that you can employ, squats tend to burn a lot of calories fairly quickly. Squats cause the body to ramp up its anabolic hormone production, which in turn helps the body to lose fat and build muscle. The weight of your body is enough to help you burn major calories, so you don’t even have to add weights to your squats to experience this awesome benefit, although adding weights can incorporate more muscles into the movement and increase the number of calories you burn.
3. Organ Stimulation
If you’re looking to supercharge your detoxification regimen, squats are a great way to do just that. Squats move your body’s organs and systems, gently massaging organs and stimulating your body systems to move more efficiently because squats involve so many of your core muscles. Squats will increase blood flow while loosening up joints. Looser joints often translate to less joint pain and increased flexibility. It is important however, to be sure that you’re in the proper form while doing squats. Improper form can cause lower back and knee pain, but doing them correctly can decrease or even reverse pain in those areas.
Regular strength training can increase the metabolism and reduce body fat. That’s why squats are such an excellent addition to your regular exercise or training regimen. Not only do squats benefit your overall health and fitness goals, but they also help you build better posture and increase your overall well being. Yes, they may be challenging at first, but the more you do them, and the better your form, the better off you will be. Remember, squats are using some pretty big muscles, and plenty of them too. Keep your knees behind your toes, your weight on your heels and your gaze elevated. Happy squatting!
