If you have time for only one exercise, fitness experts say, do squats
Seated? Please stand (don’t use your hands) to give tribute to the one exercise that fitness gurus say stands out among the rest for healthy aging. Now be seated again. Consider that your first rep.
Yes, a great workout challenges all the major muscle groups in your upper and lower body. But if you have time for only one exercise, you’ll get the most bang for your buck by doing squats, the move in which you slowly lower your bottom to seated level, then stand back up.
“The squat is the most important exercise for seniors,” says Eric Daw, a personal trainer and founder of Omni-Fitt in Toronto, Ontario. “When you have to go to the washroom, that’s a squat. When you get in the car, that’s a squat. Every time you sit down or stand up, that’s a squat. If you don’t do them well, it affects the way you live.”
What muscles do squats work?
Squats strengthen the muscle groups in your legs, including your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, as well as muscles in your lower back and core. Those muscles provide the foundation for most activities of daily living.
Squats are the antidote to soft-couch-cushion syndrome — those challenging moments when we struggle to get up from that deep, old sofa. They can also help protect your joints, improve your balance and prevent falls, says Denise Austin, who has spent more than 40 years as one of America’s best-known fitness experts and authors.
“Squats are one of the best overall exercises,” Austin says. “They strengthen the major muscles of the lower body we need to keep strong and also protect two joints we need help with on a regular basis — our knees and our hips.”
Benefits of squats
Some research even shows a link between strong leg muscles and longevity. A study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation found that people ages 70 to 79 with stronger quadriceps (the muscles along the front of the thigh) had a lower chance of dying over six years compared with those who had weaker quadriceps.
How to do squats
Proper form is essential when you’re doing squats, especially for older adults. Start with basic squats, and when you develop your technique, you can add weights.
Here’s how you do squats correctly:
1. Get in position
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. If you have hip issues, it’s OK if your legs are a little farther apart. Point your toes slightly outward.
If you’re new to squats or feel unsteady on your feet, hold on to a stable surface like the kitchen counter. Holding on for stability makes it easier to focus on your form without worrying about your balance, Austin says.
2. Lower into a squat
Bend at your knees and push your hips back like you are about to sit in a chair. Keep your back as straight as possible, chest up and heels planted on the floor. Activate your core muscles. Make sure your knees don’t extend forward over your toes, because you can risk hurting your knees.
If you have knee or hip issues, you don’t need to do a deep bend. The part of the exercise that really builds strength is when you come back up, Austin says.
Try to keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet as you do the squat, with your weight mostly on your heels, not your toes, says Lori Michiel, founder of Lori Michiel Fitness, which specializes in senior fitness in the home.
3. Return to standing position
Push your heels into the ground, and while you exhale, straighten your knees and stand back up.
4. Repeat
Aim to do two sets of eight to 10 squats, at a pace of two seconds down, two seconds up. As your body tires at the end of the set, make sure you’re not hunching over or letting your knees cave in.
For the best results, do squat exercises at least three times a week as part of your regular strength-training routine. You can do them more frequently as you get stronger.
5. Put your arms in play
As you build your strength, try doing your squats without holding on to anything. For help with balance, raise your arms out in front of you during the downward motion of the squat, then drop them to your sides when you stand up, Austin suggests.
You also can place your arms across your chest to help keep your back straight if you tend to hunch over, Daw says.
6. How to add weights to squats
Once you’ve mastered the proper form of a basic squat and can do two sets of 15 without feeling any muscle fatigue afterward, try adding some weight.
The easiest way to add weight is to hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides, Daw says. “That’s how you build strength faster,” he says. Start with light weights and increase them as you get stronger.
Just remember that doing squats can be tough, but it shouldn’t be painful. So rest when you need to, and stop and talk to your doctor if doing squats is causing you any discomfort.
