Article by Hamish Newall – Personal Trainer at Bay City Gym and owner
The Primal Squat!
Why I started working on a primal squat (deep squat) was because Chrissy and I were doing body balance at home and I soon realised that my flexibility and mobility was very restricted in a deep squat position, that’s when the research started.
To be able to perform the primal squat you need to have flexibility In the glutes, hamstrings and also hip flexor muscles and the anterior tib (front of your shin). You also need length in the calf muscle and Achilles’ tendon and of course mobility in the ankle which is really important.
The benefits of practicing the resting or primal squat include:
• improved hip mobility
• improved ankle mobility
• stronger, healthier spine
• better squat mechanics in exercise
• stronger, more resilient knees
• improved ankle mobility
• stronger, healthier spine
• better squat mechanics in exercise
• stronger, more resilient knees
We as humans are not meant to sit for long periods of time. You only have to look at children who instinctively perform perfect squats but then as adults we struggle to do a squat. Because we spend so much time sitting on couches and chairs where our bums are higher than our knees.
It’s so important to keep practicing the deep squat as we get older and it also helps us perform our sports and hobbies better.
Try practice with your back against a wall or a board/block under the heels or you can try to hold onto something to start off. Build yourself up and hold it for 30second intervals, if you feel your back is not straight or it is a little curved, place something under your heels.
Give it a go, even if it’s only 30seconds a couple times a day!
If you don’t use it, you’ll loose it!