1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works. Hey, brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: Lauren vocal bomb here. We've all heard the grim news 3 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: sitting is the new smoking. It's a troubling statement to 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: see repeated in the headlines, especially since the average office 5 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: worker sits for about ten hours every day and Netflix, 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: we love you, but you're not helping. Not only has 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: excessive sitting been associated with everything from strained muscles to 8 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: spinal damage, but research has shown prolonged sedentary time is 9 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,959 Speaker 1: associated with harmful health outcomes regardless of physical activity. And 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: while we all put our faith into standing desks as 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: the obvious antidote, it turns out that strategy might be 12 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: doing more harm than good. There might be a simpler 13 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: solution that doesn't involve a fancy office successory or swollen 14 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: ankles squatting. We spoke with Area Matlick, a New York 15 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: based nurse practitioner. She said, when it comes to the 16 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: human body, spending too much time in any single position 17 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: has a cost. In the US today, we sit a lot, 18 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: so it would do us good to squat a bit more. 19 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,559 Speaker 1: Jessica Gilbert, a California based certified personal trainer and group 20 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: fitness instructor, agrees. She said we should most definitely be 21 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: squatting more in our everyday lives for many reasons. The 22 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: first and most important is that most people struggle from 23 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: inactive gluteal muscles glutes and that can cause low back pain, 24 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 1: knee pain, throw off your posture, and affect your everyday workouts. 25 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: She says. That's squatting for just thirty seconds a few 26 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: times a day can strengthen those inactive muscle groups. So 27 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: why squatting? You might instead want to ask why not squatting? 28 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,199 Speaker 1: While you may not typically see people in the United 29 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: States crouching with bent knees, but's hovering above their heels, 30 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: you'll see that pose on the regular in other countries, 31 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: particularly in places where squat toilets where the peon or 32 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: bowls at floor level are common, like throughout Asia, India, 33 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: and Africa. But people in other parts of the world 34 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: also commonly issued chairs to squat when eating, talking, and 35 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: just generally hanging out. And while the super low squat 36 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: you'll see abroad may look much different than the standard 37 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: issue jim move common in the United States, Gilbert says 38 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: they both have their rightful place and booty building perks. 39 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: She said a typical jim squat and squats in other 40 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: countries are all fairly the same, but the depth, range 41 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: of motion and uses are different. She explained that a 42 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: jim squat will build strength, where squatting in daily life 43 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: can build endurance. Matt Luck explained that it used to 44 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: be more common for people all over the world to 45 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: give birth and use the toilet in a squatting position. 46 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: She said, the less we squat, the weaker the muscles 47 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: that make squatting possible become a lot of fitness routines 48 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: and yogic practices include squating exercises for good reason. Squatting 49 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: increases leg strength and stability, gets the blood flowing, warms 50 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: up the body, and improves muscle tone without putting excessive 51 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: pressure on the joints. And while no one really likes 52 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: to talk about it, that toilet thing is important, hence 53 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: the success of the squatty potty. Victoria Albana, another New 54 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: York based nurse practitioner and health coach, said, we definitely 55 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: should all be squatting to have a bowel movement. When 56 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: we're in a fully squatted position, it's a more natural 57 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: position for our colon. When the Victorians came up with 58 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:10,959 Speaker 1: the concept of the throne toilet. It was a big 59 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: step backward for bowel health. But beyond the bathroom, squatting 60 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: has a ton of benefits that nonpractitioners are missing out on. 61 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: Albana said, I also think when we're squatting all the 62 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: time to do all sorts of things, we're engaging our 63 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: core in our back and engaging a series of muscles 64 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: that the average American is no longer engaging. We're having 65 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: more back pain than ever before. I don't think it's 66 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: a one to one correlation, but we're definitely sitting more 67 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: and commuting more, and it's one part of the picture. 68 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: While it's a good idea to get your squad on 69 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: more often, it's also important to remember that not all 70 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: squats are created equal. Matlick said, rapid, careless squatting can 71 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: easily lead to back injuries, so it's important to engage 72 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: the core muscles and keep the back straight. When adding 73 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: squats to your daily routine, start with slow movements for 74 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: one to three minutes and work up to a faster 75 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: pace and longer duration. Whether you're squeezing more squats in 76 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: for overall health and mobility or you're really looking to 77 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: build some muscle. Gilbert has a few takeaway tips. She said, 78 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: always keep the weight of your squats in your heels, 79 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: keep your chest up and shoulder blades back. When you're 80 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,359 Speaker 1: doing a squat and coming up to the standing position, 81 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: always squeeze your butt. If you're leaning forward or backward 82 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: in your squats, you're more likely to injure yourself. So 83 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: if you're new to working out or just want to 84 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: improve your squatting technique, I recommend finding a bench and 85 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: practice the sitting and standing technique. Even just taking a 86 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: seat and then standing up fift twenty times in a 87 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: row once a day can make a difference. It's almost 88 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: the same idea as the gym technique. Today's episode was 89 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: written by Michelle Kunstantinovski and produced by Tyler Clang for 90 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: iHeart Media and How Stuff Works. For more on this 91 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: and lots of other well toned topics, visit our home planet, 92 00:04:54,040 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com.