Why Sit in a Squat?

We end many classes with stretching or rolling to loosen tight muscles and maintain full range of motion. Some of these are straightforward: foam rolling the quads targets the front of the legs, using a ball on the upper back hits that area, and so on. But some techniques don’t have such obvious outcomes.

Sitting in a squat (as pictured here by my guy, Otis) is a perfect example. What exactly does this “stretch” do? Not sure? You’re not alone.

The goal of most stretches is to keep joints moving through their full range. For the hips especially, we spend too much time stuck in a mid-range position—thanks to chairs in the office, car, dining room, and couch. Because our hips rarely reach their end ranges, we gradually lose them, which leads to problems up and down the chain.

A passive squat takes your hips into full flexion, helping you avoid stiffness while keeping access to strong, natural movement patterns in the gym. Bonus: it also works on ankle and knee mobility at the same time.

Tips for sitting in a squat:

• Use support if needed—hold onto something or brace against a wall.

• Keep feet flat and mostly straight (a slight angle out is fine).

• Distract yourself! Set a timer and watch TV or listen to a podcast instead of counting seconds.

Whether you’re looking to chip away at that pesky hip mobility or you’re just interested in a more comfy position to organize your records in your wheeled turtle (thanks, Otie!), I can’t recommend this enough.

Need a goal? Aim for 10 minutes a day. Break it up if needed, then work toward doing all 10 minutes in one go.

Need a hand? Just ask!