Ahhh, the humble squat. It’s one of the most effective moves in the gym; it’s also one of our most primal human movements. Or should I say it was a primal human movement? It's shocking to think that most people spend their day in two positions, standing and sitting. Standing includes walking and running as the range of ankle, knee, and hip flexion is only partial.
Long ago, before we all started sitting in chairs, squatting was our default resting position. For many traditional cultures, this is still the case. Those people who accumulate time in a deep squat on a regular bases experience significantly lower levels of back pain and digestion issues. Deep squats are great for supporting spinal health as well as aiding physiological processes in our bodies, such as digestion and elimination.
The science is stacking up, and we know that sitting for prolonged periods is devastating to our health and longevity. For countless ages throughout time, human beings have been able to crouch down into a resting squat for relaxing, working, cooking, communing, and even for taking a dump.
It appears that many digestive problems, including colon cancer and hemorrhoids, can be attributed to a lack of time spent in a deep squat. For example, evidence in favour of the old-fashioned squat toilet is mounting, and devices to help the unaccustomed with squatting are being invented at a fast rate. Do yourself a favour and Google squatty potty.
Sitting on a toilet, and not squatting down like we are designed to do, pinches off the end of the colon so your bowels are literally tied up and unable to fully release. In a traditional squatting position, your knees are pulled closer to the chest – this aligns the body as Mother Nature intended, which aids "dropping the kids off at the pool." Your rectum relaxes and straightens, which enables complete emptying of the bowels without the straining and grunting.
Fecal matter that remains in your bowels can be a bigger problem; it causes accumulation of toxins and makes the passageway increasingly narrower. Your body was not designed for prolonged exposure to substances that should be evicted regularly.
The risk of certain health problems is possibly increased by the lack of time spent un the bottom of there squat.
Constipation
Hemorrhoids
Colitis (inflammation of the colon)
Colon cancer
Crohn’s disease (a type of inflammatory bowel disease)
Diver-tic-u-litis (formation of pouches in the wall of the colon and consequent inflammation of one of these pouches)
Prostate disorders
Hernia (a part of the stomach gets pushed through a tear or weakness in the diaphragm)
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease – stomach acid flows back into the esophagus)
Sexual dysfunction
It is interesting to note that non-westernised societies, where squatting is still practised, have a much lower prevalence of these health problems.
I can’t stress enough how important being able to sit all the way down into a squat is to your health. As a strength coach, I’ve seen this skill transfer over into so many other facets of people’s lives. If you can’t get down into the full resting position of a flat-footed squat, it’s time that you start working on it. If you don’t, you are dramatically limiting your healthspan.
Make it a daily habit to squat down and hang out in this position. You can simply squat down and set a timer for one minute, hang out there and do a task of some sort, or just take that time to do a little mindfulness meditation, breathing, and relaxation. Either way, it’s going to be a big supporter of your health and longevity.
If you’ve not seen The Sustainable Training Methods April squatting challenge, I suggest you check it out.