A Move You Should Do MONDAY – Closed Stance Deep Squat

Now before you close this link thinking, “I can’t do that!” I want to tell you the value of the closed stance deep squat. You only have to perform three repetitions to determine some key things that could affect your function, and you are allowed to hold onto something. Here’s how to do it:

Stand in front of a mirror with your feet and knees together. You’ll need to be able to see what happens as you squat.
Squat down as far as you can, keeping your knees together and your feet flat. Resist rocking to the front of your feet.
Look to see what your butt does as you lower down. Does it swish to one side?
Stand up and repeat three times (or until you get your answer).

Why does this matter?

As you lower down into a squat, there is greater demand for ankle dorsiflexion (your shin coming closer to your toes) and hip internal rotation (your knees staying close together). If your knees want to separate but you keep them pressed together, your butt will swish to the side away from the tightness, alerting you to tightness that you can fix now in order to prevent pain later.

Remember, squatting isn’t bad for you. Bad squatting is bad for you.

So, give the closed stance deep squat a try. Three repetitions could tell you a lot about how your body moves.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…