Benefits of Bodyweight Squats

Bodyweight Squats are one exercise that should be part of your workout routine – regardless of age, gender or fitness goals. Bodyweight squats target your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes, and abdominals. Squats are a total body fitness movement. The benefits of bodyweight squats will be an improvement in your walking form.

Adding bodyweight squats to your walking routine will improve your physical fitness and tone the muscles of your lower body and abs, and benefit your body in a multitude of ways. There is no need for any other piece of workout equipment.

Benefits of Bodyweight Squats:

• Tone your butt

• Burn fat and speed weight loss

• Tone your overall body

• Improve your posture

• Enhance circulation

• Improve your flexibility

• Keep your lower back strong

Whether you’re looking to shed pounds, maintain mobility, or walk faster, the squat is for you!

To perform a basic squat using only your own body weight, follow these steps: 

1.    Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, with toes slightly turned outward.

2.    Tighten up your core to stabilize yourself, then with your chest thrust upward, start to shift your weight back into your heels while pushing your hips behind you as you squat down.

3.    Continue to lower yourself until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Your feet should remain flat on the ground, and your knees should remain over your second toe.

4.    Keep your chest lifted and your feet on the floor, and exhale as you push yourself back up to standing. Feel yourself push back up from the heels of your feet.

5.    Gradually build up to 10 or more reps.

Your Next Step: Next time you are out for a walk, add a few sets of squats during your walk. Begin with 3 sets of 10 then increase the numbers as you feel more comfortable and your legs become stronger. Over time you can increase the numbers even more as you increase your flexibility.

Video Coming Soon: Benefits of Doing Squats - Improve Your Walking

Squat Variations: Try different foot positions or jump as you rise up.

The Basic Squat:

·   Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, with toes slightly turned outward.

·   Tighten up your core to stabilize yourself, then with your chest thrust upward, start to shift your weight back into your heels while pushing your hips behind you as you squat down.

·   Continue to lower yourself until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Your feet should remain flat on the ground, and your knees should remain over your second toe.

·   Keep your chest lifted and your feet on the floor, and exhale as you push yourself back up to standing. Feel yourself push back up from the heels of your feet.

Jump Squats:

Follow the instruction for the Basic Squat then, propel yourself off the ground by jumping up quickly.

6 Benefits of Jump Squats

1. Build muscle which will help you to burn more fat.

2. Help maintain motor balance by increasing the brain to muscle communication.

3. Improve balance which helps reduce injuries.

4. Boost your endurance exercise performance.

5. Tone your backside, abs, and entire body

6. Improve your body fluid circulation.

Sumo Squats:

Change your foot position to a wide stance to target various muscles.

6 Benefits of Sumo Squats

1. Work the glutes, hamstrings and inner quadriceps

2. Burn more calories

3. Exercise multiple muscle groups

4. Improve flexibility and mobility

5. Build balance and stability

6. Can be done anywhere (try them on your next walk)

Walk on,
Frank Ring
Author: Walking for Health and Fitness, Fitness Walking and Bodyweight Exercises, and my latest release Walking Inspiration.
Contact Frank at Frank@walkingforhealthandfitness.com

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