Top 5 Benefits of Practicing Primal Squats:
1. The deep primal squat is the most fundamental human movement. Being able to comfortably hold this position has nothing to do with fitness or exercise. It has to do with functional movement and total body control.
2. Unlocking your hips. With all the sitting we do, it's pretty rare that we find our hips and butt dropping at an angle below our knees for an extended period of time. Because we aren't regularly going through this full-range of motion, the muscles, tendons, and tissues around our hips begin to tighten and shorten...essentially freezing us in a locked up, seated position even when we are upright and on the move.
3. Smooth Moving. I'm talking about your gut, intestines...everything going on in the inside. The deep squat position helps your pelvic floor muscles completely relax, which eliminates any "kinks in the chain." If you deal with cramping, bloating, general discomfort...it could be cleared up simply by making sure you are fully processing and eliminating your waste products.
4. Spinal Health. With so many of our activities encouraging forward head, rounded shoulders and less than optimal posture...our spines are shortening and their fluid is diminishing. If your spinal discs become dehydrated, you lose critical shock absorption and movement capabilities, leading to herniated discs or other vertebrae injuries. Deep squatting helps you align your body properly, encourages cerebrospinal fluid flow, and minimizes stress on your spine in your daily activities.
5. Prepare for Strength Training. If you can properly move and control your body in a purposeful, efficient manner...you can begin with more advanced fitness & strength training routines. Mastering this primal squat will directly translate to better performance, injury prevention and improved recovery rates.
2. Unlocking your hips. With all the sitting we do, it's pretty rare that we find our hips and butt dropping at an angle below our knees for an extended period of time. Because we aren't regularly going through this full-range of motion, the muscles, tendons, and tissues around our hips begin to tighten and shorten...essentially freezing us in a locked up, seated position even when we are upright and on the move.
3. Smooth Moving. I'm talking about your gut, intestines...everything going on in the inside. The deep squat position helps your pelvic floor muscles completely relax, which eliminates any "kinks in the chain." If you deal with cramping, bloating, general discomfort...it could be cleared up simply by making sure you are fully processing and eliminating your waste products.
4. Spinal Health. With so many of our activities encouraging forward head, rounded shoulders and less than optimal posture...our spines are shortening and their fluid is diminishing. If your spinal discs become dehydrated, you lose critical shock absorption and movement capabilities, leading to herniated discs or other vertebrae injuries. Deep squatting helps you align your body properly, encourages cerebrospinal fluid flow, and minimizes stress on your spine in your daily activities.
5. Prepare for Strength Training. If you can properly move and control your body in a purposeful, efficient manner...you can begin with more advanced fitness & strength training routines. Mastering this primal squat will directly translate to better performance, injury prevention and improved recovery rates.
Why am I, personally, such a stickler for squats?
About 4 years ago, I was trapped in a dysfunctional body and dragged myself through every single day with relentless pain. Car accidents, bike accidents, illness and surgeries piled on one another and I hadn't taken the proper steps for recovery. Forget squatting, I could barely stand up straight and move about the world. I pushed ahead and created additional compensations, imbalances and injuries as I attempted to accommodate existing conditions. Long story short, I knew enough was enough and there had to be a way I could get back to life without pain. I made a new year resolution to achieve a deep squat (at a point when I couldn't sit into a chair appropriately) and for 6 months, I focused on simple bodyweight exercises. This included holding a deep squat for a total of 10 minutes each day. It was brutal at first. I had to hold onto a doorway or sit on a stack of books, just to kind of, sort of get into a deep squat.
Consistency equals results.
By the end of 6 months, I had achieved the primal squat position with no support needed and was ready to return to strength training with squats. Not only did I find it rewarding to be able to move into the squat position, but my digestion improved, breathing techniques were enhanced, the stuck stress in my diaphragm released, my low back pain was gone and so much more.
So, why am I a stickler for squats? Because they are truly the foundation of everything when it comes to moving well, feeling well, and staying healthy...and I want to pass it on so we can all get back to moving how our bodies are intended to move!
Keep dropping it low.
-Coach Cassie Taylor
Consistency equals results.
By the end of 6 months, I had achieved the primal squat position with no support needed and was ready to return to strength training with squats. Not only did I find it rewarding to be able to move into the squat position, but my digestion improved, breathing techniques were enhanced, the stuck stress in my diaphragm released, my low back pain was gone and so much more.
So, why am I a stickler for squats? Because they are truly the foundation of everything when it comes to moving well, feeling well, and staying healthy...and I want to pass it on so we can all get back to moving how our bodies are intended to move!
Keep dropping it low.
-Coach Cassie Taylor
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