Blog By: Melissa Charlton

Last week, I overheard a client jokingly ask her trainer, “Why are you so obsessed with squats?” And although she was teasing, it’s worth discussing.

Well, first of all, squats are a great way to build a bigger butt. And there’s nothing wrong with training just to look good. But for those of us who are less interested in the aesthetics of the gym, we train squats because they are essential to an independent life.

Okay, so most importantly, there’s the toilet. Yep, that’s not glamorous, but it is a necessary part of life. If you’ve ever been sore from squats, you may have experienced the humbling experience of not being able to get up without a little help. But here’s your gentle reminder that, without intervention, we start losing muscle in our 30s. If we don’t try to gain and maintain our muscles now, then it’s highly likely that we’ll need to call a nurse to help us off the toilet when we’re 95. No, thank you.

Aside from the strength to get off the toilet (and couch, and out of bed), strong legs are a predictor of brain health. The brain, especially the hippocampus, shrinks with age. A 10-year study out of the Salk Institute in San Diego (1), which studied the brains of female twins, found that exercise training, specifically in the lower body, increases the size of the hippocampus and improves memory. So, although there is no proven way to completely avoid Alzheimer’s and dementia, this is solid evidence that training legs can help protect you.

Strong legs also help us stay social. An article from Northern Arizona University (2) found that those with a slower gait cycle (walking speed) also had a lower degree of social participation, which then leads to accelerated cognitive decline. This makes sense, right? If walking is difficult, we are less likely to travel, visit with friends, or do our own grocery shopping. And we cannot underestimate the importance of social interactions when it comes to slowing cognitive decline. Our brains need interaction and communication. Just like with everything else, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.

Okay, we all know we need to be stronger. But again, why squats? Why not lunges, deadlifts, step-ups, and all the machines at the gym? Well… Yes. Do all those other things as well. But squats hit so many muscle groups, it doesn’t make sense to cut out something so efficient! Whether bodyweight squats or barbell front squats, you use not only your quads and glutes, you also load your feet and challenge your core. Not to mention the impact on the nervous system, trying to coordinate all those muscle groups to work as a team.

Okay, one last thought: Although everyone should squat, not everyone’s squat will look the same. Depending upon where and how you hold your weight, your femur length, the shape of your pelvis, your ankle mobility, and history of injury, your squat is incredibly personal. We use squats as a diagnostic and teaching tool, to understand and solve what’s missing in your kinetic chain. And no matter what they say on the internet, you don’t need to break 90 degrees if it hurts. All squats count towards conditioning. Your coach can help you with your squat depth if that goal is appropriate for your body.

Final caveat: Do your squats hurt? Please talk to us; we want to help. At MBodied Strength, we don’t push through joint pain and we believe that every move can be modified so that everyone can do it.

Citations:

Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory, Erikson, Voss, Prakash & Kramer, Salk Institute, San Diego, CA

The association between social participation and lower extremity muscle strength, balance, and gait speed in US adults, Warren, Ganley & Pohl, Northern Arizona University, AZ

Kicking Back Cognitive Ageing: Leg Power Predicts Cognitive Ageing after Ten Years in Older Female Twins, Steves, Mehta, Jackson & Spector, Cambridge UK

A Lovenote to Squats: Why is your trainer so obsessed?

Melissa Charlton

Challenged, Not Crushed: Listening to Your Body in Strength Training