Name: Squat Stretch.
Also known as: (If you know these by any other name, please leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Inner thighs.
Other muscles used: Bum.
Top tips:
- Have your feet a good shoulder width apart.
- Feet turned out slightly.
- Squat down low so your bum gets close to the floor.
- Jam your elbows on the inside of your knees and push them outwards so you feel a stretch on your inner thighs.
- Keep your feet flat and heels firm on the floor at all times.
- Keep your chest out and shoulders back at all times.
Common mistakes:
- Having your feet too close together.
- Having your knees too close together.
- Pulling the heels off the floor and going onto the toes.
- Slumping the shoulders and back forwards.
- Confusing “getting the bum low” with “getting the head low”.
Comments: This is a very good hip mobility and adductor stretch exercise. A person with good hip mobility is less likely to display movement compensations that can lead to injuries, including back problems. Too much sitting in our lives can lead to tight hips, including adductors (inner thighs). If you are not careful, this can lead to dodgy backs and knees. So if you have dodgy backs/knees, or if you want to avoid them, make sure you do this stretch regularly. The squat stretch helps with both athletic moves (running, jumping, landing etc) and everyday moves (sitting, standing, climbing stairs etc).