Week 7: Squatting Work Station

Next week feature on the drangons den... the Squatting Work Station! If a standing work station converter kit can sell for around 500 dollars there is certainly a market for a very lucrative squatting work station apparatus. Below is my featured squatting work station - comprised of a 6 dollar stool and my couch. This could retail for upwards of 6 dollars.

Depending on the type of work and location of work, a large portion of most people's days are spent sitting. In addion we sit for meals, driving and relaxing. Fortunatly, there has been a shift away from sitting all day as some experts say "sitting is the new smoking". I think these experts are half right. Sitting is something you don't want to do all day, but so is standing in one position all day. In fact squatting for 8 hours straight isn't good either. The best thing we can do for our muscles, joints, pelvic floor, ligaments, digestive system, ect is move in a variety of ways often throughout the day.

This week take a mental note of how much time you spend sitting (work, kitchen table, car, couch, toilet), standing, walking, squatting. What are the positions you do most and for how long do you hold a static posture? Are you able to modify your environment or tasks to incorporate more movement in a greater variety of positions?

If you want to improve your ability to squat you need to just do it. You could fit in HOURS of 'squat practice' DAILY just by slightly altering your sitting postion.

On a side note, one day my squatting work station might look like the one below- but I need to start small and work up to that. At this point I have no where near the flexibility or strength required!

NOTE: This work station is something I have been doing for a while. During my second and third trimester I had some degree low back discomfort in every position EXCEPT this supported squat. This position allowed me to work without pain. I sat in this position instead of on the couch, kitchen table and work desk. This was a very comfortable position, even when I had a fundal height of 48 cm (code for HUGE belly). If you have back pain try this supported position as a subsitiute for sitting.

Squat Challenge Week 6: Fruits that resemble glutes... and symmetry

Weak glutes. Everyone has them, including me. Is it due to poor posture and a lack of walking and squatting? Most likely. I know that my gluts are weak and I know that my left side is weaker than my right. I can see this weakness manifest in my squat when I:

1. shift more weight onto my stronger right leg when coming up from my squat. 
2. move the weight forwards towards my toes as I go deeper, instead of keeping it planted through my heels - see purple line in picture A, the knee is in front of the heel as weight comes forward 
3. collapse my knees together when I rise up from a deep squat - see picture A, the top line between the knees is much smaller than the bottom line between the ankles 

Picture A... bad 

Picture B... better

This weeks goals: 

1. Create symmetry between the left and right side. Focus on evenly moving up and down through the squat
2. When in doubt, stick it out... get the glutes more active by moving the weight back into the heels. Ideally I want to be able to wiggle my toes at the lowest point of my squat - picture B, purple arrow on knee directly over ankle 
3. Keep the knees as wide as the feet, pushing the knees away from each other on the way up and down - picture B, pink lines are the same distance at the knee and at the ankle 

And now for fun... FRUITS that resemble GLUTES

Good luck with your deep squat this week! Try not to attempt to make too many changes at once. Focus on just one or two things until they become natural and easy then move on.

Squat Challenge Week 5: The Squatty Potty

Western toilets are designed for voiding like martini glasses are designed for drinking. They are undoubtedly the wrong shape and size, poorly equipped to handle the very important tasks they are built to accomplish. Our bodies are built to void best in a deep squat position. From an anatomy point of view, a deep squat places the bowels and pelvic floor in an ideal position for voiding. The puborectalis (one muscle of the pelvic floor) acts as a lasso around the rectum, pulling it to a 90 degree angle when you are standing and sitting. This helps hold solids and gasses in until you make it to a bathroom. And this is good. When you go down into a deep squat the puborecalis loosens up its lasso hold and the rectum becomes straight and can more easily be emptied.

Great diagram by fellow pelvic floor PT Samantha Cattach. See her entire blog post HERE!

Most people I know would have a hard time voiding in a deep squat because this position is too hard to hold. In addition, our bathrooms are poorly designed to accommodate a deep squat. Hence the invention of the squatty potty (NOTE: you can use anything to prop your feet up higher including small stools or anything you have lying around). With a bit of potty assistance you can work on your squat (adding 5-10 additional deep squats to your day) and void more easily.

Squatty potty - available on Amazon or Bed Bath and Beyond 

I spent the weekend at my in-laws and had to improvise with my carry on suitcase! 

Instead of just hiding in the bathroom to catch up on Facebook you could also be using this time to:

• IMPROVE YOUR ABILITY TO DEEP SQUAT
• decrease straining- very important if you have issues with pelvic floor dysfunction, prolapse and pelvic pain
• potty training children, so their pelvic floors can relax and they can void easier
• fully empty
• decrease constipation

Improving your deep squat will take practice. Start increasing your deep squat frequency by integrating it into your every day life activities!

Squat Challenge Week 4: Will I ever get into a deep squat???

CAN and SHOULD everyone be able to do a perfect deep squat? Not necessarily.

Everyone has slightly different anatomy, therefore it may not be possible to achieve the exact same squat as another person. Injury and disease can also permanently change the way the body moves. These are some examples of things you may not be able to change. However, the way muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons function can also be a product of HOW you use them. With disuse the body can become immobile, tight, off balance and stiff. The human body can and will adapt to the environment it is placed in! Some cultures utilize deep squatting daily as a working, resting and elimination position. Western culture takes advantage of more 'comfortable' positions like chairs, couches and toilets. Maybe my biggest issue is not my stiff ankles but the absence of daily squatting over the last 30 years (which has potentially lead to the stiff ankles... this may be a chicken and the egg conversation).

This concept is something I try to discuss with my prenatal moms who want to have a natural delivery. Squatting during labor and delivery is good in theory but you have to make sure you take the appropriate steps to ensure you are actually able to squat before the big day. It may take months to achieve a squat position that you are comfortable in.

The take home message here is many things will affect your ability to squat... some things you can't change and some things you can. Work on the things you can change and you may find that you end up with a pretty darn close to perfect deep squat. Lastly, keep in mind it might take some time to un-do 30+ years of non squatting so be patient with your deep squat!

Squat Challenge Week 3: Pelvis

This week we will talk about one thing that most people do as they start to squat deeper... TUCK the TAIL BONE.

At some point during my squat my pelvis starts to 'TUCK'. That means that my tail bone (back) gets closer to my pubic bone (front). This position shortens the pelvic floor preventing it from working properly. It also puts the gluts and core muscles at a disadvantage when supporting my body in a squat. This is one reason that I need to hold onto something when I squat.

Two things to focus on this week:

1. Sitting with a not tucked tail bone.

This position is a less deep squat and a position that I get into (way too) often throughout the day. I'm going to sit with my tail bone not tucked at the table, on the couch and in my car. Practice rotating your pelvis forward and backwards to get an idea of what it feels like to tuck and untuck the tail bone, that way you'll be able to tell what your pelvis is doing while you squat. Just like calf stretching vs neutral footwear (see week 2) it's more important to correct the positions you spend all day in rather than do a few minutes of stretching.

 


2. Supported Squat.

I'm going to use support to go deeper into my squat while maintaining a not tucked tail bone. I will need to continue to support my ankles with my yoga mat (or a decline slope on a sidewalk). Hanging out here will help me gain body awareness of my pelvis position as I move in and out of tucked vs not tucked. Over the week I want to decrease the amount of support that I need, only using my fingertips to hold me upright as my balance and strength increase.

Squat Challenge Week 2: Ankles

Want to learn how to do a perfect deep squat?? This week we are going to focus on the ankles and their ideal position in the deep squat.

I have a shocking number of high heels considering that I am fully aware of how bad they are for the pelvic floor but these heels have served a very useful purpose today. They are going to give me a measurement of how much assistance I need to achieve my current resting squat position... and I need a lot. Almost 3 inches. Ideally the entire foot is planted on the ground and my shin should be close (if not completely) vertical. For me, holding a better squat position without support is a strength, balance and mobility issue.



Let's focus on mobility for now. To help me loosen up my ankles and lengthen my calf muscles the goals this week are:

1. Only wearing neutral shoes (meaning no heel) or no shoe.

Most footwear, including runners, men's shoes, kids shoes and casual shoes have a positive heel. Check out how much positive heel you have by comparing the difference in height from the back of the shoe to the front. Sometimes you can find this value online, especially for running shoes and hiking shoes. Over time the calf muscles will become chronically shortened due to the large amount of time spent daily in positive heeled shoes. The reason that this is my first (and most important) point is because even if I spend 1 hour daily doing the other two 'exercises', the 8+ hours I spend in heels will negate any change.

2. Stretching the lower leg.

Keeping my half dome roller in my main bathroom to stretch out my gastrocnemius and soleus. While brushing my teeth, washing my hands, doing my hair, etc I hope to spend at least 20 minutes stretching out these tight muscles daily. My stretches should be fluid, moving in and out of the stretch, keeping the knee straight and then bending it as I feel the stretch move to the top of the muscle to the bottom, to the left and to the right.



3. Practice Squatting.

Practice squatting in a supported position but just below where I start to lose good form (we will talk more about this next week!). I'll put a rolled up yoga mat under my heels and hang out here trying to focus on relaxing the tension in my ankles, moving my weight back and extending through the spine. I am going to aim for lots of slow controlled squats throughout the day, but only a few at a time. At night I will try and do a longer session while I watch 'Turn' my new favorite Netflix Original Series about a cabbage farmer.



TIPS: you can use basically anything in place of a half dome, like a rolled up yoga mat or something salvaged from the recycle bin.

Happy Physio Friday and good luck loosening up those stiff ankles!

Squat Challenge Week 1: Baseline

Today is 'Physio Friday' and what better way to start the weekend than to get thinking about movement. This is the first of twelve posts on how to achieve the ultimate physical feat: a perfect deep squat. This one simple movement will improve functional flexibility, strength, balance and will make you live longer (OK, maybe not live longer, but if a 'tea-tox' can claim that, why can't I?). Over the next three months I am going to turn my lack luster attempt at getting low (picture A) into a stunning squatting specimen (picture B). I challenge you to join me! All you need is you and a few minutes everyday.

A: My Week 1 Squat

B: My adorable 2 year old cousin fetching Lego

Why waste time hanging out on the floor in a deep squat when you could be curled up on the couch watching Netflix? Here are a few reasons:

• Take your hips and knees through their full range of motion, something that most people will not do everyday and sometimes not even every week! Limber up those rusty joints by moving the joint surfaces over each other helps to massage your joint fluid and cartilage.
• Gain muscle strength in your primary muscle groups (gluts, quads, hamstrings, abs, etc.) as you lower and raise your body with control. 
• Improve thoracic spine (mid back) mobility and extension. 
• Improve ankle and calf flexibility and movement. 
• Elongate pelvic floor muscles (leading to improved muscle function and decreased pelvic floor dysfunction).
• Improve pelvis - tail bone - spinal movement.
• Stretch the low back muscles.
• Mobilize and glide nerves as you take them through various positions.
• Improve bone density.
• Improve balance and proprioception (know where your body is in space and how it got there).
• Live longer!!!!!

During Week One, I encourage you to get photo evidence of your deep squat. Without trying to modify anything about your squat get someone to take a picture from the side, front, back and above. I also want you to take note of how many times per day you get down into your full squat. This will serve as your squat baseline.  Over the next three months, I will dissect my squat short comings in an attempt to achieve the perfect squat.  I invite you to work with me to improve your squat biomechanics through weekly tips and exercises. Happy Physio Friday! 

DISCLAIMER: If you have preexisting conditions that interfere with your ability to squat or any of these exercises cause you pain, stop immediately and go see a physio! Does this mean you will never do a deep squat? No. You may just need to approach a deep squat in a different way with a modified program. Contact me if you have questions!