4 ms·

I'm 43 years, Indian and have never had a problem squatting. Was surprised this is such a tough thing to do for some. I work sitting on a chair for 8-10 hours e

I'm 43 years, Indian and have never had a problem squatting. Was surprised this is such a tough thing to do for some. I work sitting on a chair for 8-10 hours everyday, but ensure I take a squat break every 1 hour or so. To make it a habit, I take every opportunity to squat, when I have my green tea, play with my son, watch TV. It does feel great after squatting for 3-4 minutes. I also workout in the gym and perform 4-5 sets of squats with 30Kgs. I read this yesterday - “Every joint in our body has synovial fluid in it. This is the oil in our body that provides nutrition to the cartilage. Two things are required to produce that fluid: movement and compression. So if a joint doesn’t go through its full range—if the hips and knees never go past 90 degrees—the body says ‘I’m not being used’ and starts to degenerate and stops the production of synovial fluid.” https://quartzy.qz.com/1121077/to-solve-problems-caused-by-sitting-learn-to-squat/ https://quartzy.qz.com/1121077/to-solve-problems-caused-by-s...

hnarn 9y ago
>if a joint doesn’t go through its full range—if the hips and knees never go past 90 degrees You don't need to squat to have your knees go past 90 degrees. This would only be an issue for people that are literally bed-ridden, for everyone else our joints move plenty while walking, sitting down and lying in bed at night. I'm sure stretching is good but you're making it sound like not squatting will lead to your joints degenerating.
- mcherm 9y ago
  > you're making it sound like not squatting will lead to your joints degenerating I believe it will. Specifically, not squatting (or otherwise flexing it fully) will cause a person to lose the full range of motion in their ankles. Of course, you may not care. You may have no NEED to flex your ankles past a certain point. But you ARE losing flexibility, just as you will lose the ability to do splits if you don't practice them regularly.
  - eggy 9y ago
    Agreed, and walking does not put it near 90 degrees. I lived overseas almost 8 years in SE Asia, and learning to properly squat flat-footed has really made me more flexible, and loosened up my hips and ankles. I also sat on a Pilates ball for 6 to 7 years, but now that I am back in the US, I've gained weight, and sitting at a desk 7 or more hours a day is wreaking havoc on my back and making me stiff again. I take squat breaks, and squat to fill the coffee pot instead of bending over at the water cooler. Bending is something done different in SE Asia too compared to in the West. I lived in a Javanese rice farming village for over a year, and watching and doing the planting and harvesting showed the difference to me. My wife is Indonesian and will perch in a squat on the edge of a chair or sofa while she eats - for 20 minutes. I still can only perch or squat for 5 to 10 minutes maximum.

hnarn 9y ago

>if a joint doesn’t go through its full range—if the hips and knees never go past 90 degrees You don't need to squat to have your knees go past 90 degrees. This would only be an issue for people that are literally bed-ridden, for everyone else our joints move plenty while walking, sitting down and lying in bed at night. I'm sure stretching is good but you're making it sound like not squatting will lead to your joints degenerating.

mcherm 9y ago
> you're making it sound like not squatting will lead to your joints degenerating I believe it will. Specifically, not squatting (or otherwise flexing it fully) will cause a person to lose the full range of motion in their ankles. Of course, you may not care. You may have no NEED to flex your ankles past a certain point. But you ARE losing flexibility, just as you will lose the ability to do splits if you don't practice them regularly.
- eggy 9y ago
  Agreed, and walking does not put it near 90 degrees. I lived overseas almost 8 years in SE Asia, and learning to properly squat flat-footed has really made me more flexible, and loosened up my hips and ankles. I also sat on a Pilates ball for 6 to 7 years, but now that I am back in the US, I've gained weight, and sitting at a desk 7 or more hours a day is wreaking havoc on my back and making me stiff again. I take squat breaks, and squat to fill the coffee pot instead of bending over at the water cooler. Bending is something done different in SE Asia too compared to in the West. I lived in a Javanese rice farming village for over a year, and watching and doing the planting and harvesting showed the difference to me. My wife is Indonesian and will perch in a squat on the edge of a chair or sofa while she eats - for 20 minutes. I still can only perch or squat for 5 to 10 minutes maximum.