1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: Lauren vogel Bomb here with another classic episode for you. 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: We try not to do too many episodes here that 4 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: verge into health and wellness advice, because health and wellness 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: are really complicated and everybody's body is different, so it's 6 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: hard to make generalizations. But this episode is one that 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: I feel pretty good about for many humans anyway, It's 8 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: about squatting. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren vocal bomb here. We've 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,919 Speaker 1: all heard the grim news sitting is the new smoking. 10 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: It's a troubling statement to see repeated in the headlines, 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: especially since the average office worker sits for about ten 12 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: hours every day and Netflix, we love you, but you're 13 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: not helping. Not only has excessive sitting been associated with 14 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: everything from strained muscles to spinal damage, but research has 15 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: shown prolonged sedentary time is associated with harmful health outcomes 16 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: regardless of his activity. And while we all put our 17 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: faith into standing desks as the obvious antidote, it turns 18 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 1: out that strategy might be doing more harm than good. 19 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: There might be a simpler solution that doesn't involve a 20 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: fancy office successory or swollen ankles. Squatting. We spoke with 21 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: Aria Matlock, a New York based nurse practitioner. She said, 22 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: when it comes to the human body, spending too much 23 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: time in any single position has a cost. In the West, 24 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: today we sit a lot, so it would do us 25 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: good to squat a bit more. Jessica Gilbert, a California 26 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: based certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, agrees. She 27 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: said we should most definitely be squatting more in our 28 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: everyday lives for many reasons. The first and most important 29 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: is that most people struggle from inactive gluteal muscles glutes 30 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: and that can cause low back pain, knee pain, throw 31 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: off your posture, and affect your everyday workouts. She says 32 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: that squatting for just thirty seconds a few times a 33 00:01:55,440 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: day can strengthen those inactive muscle groups. So why squatting? 34 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: You might instead want to ask why not squatting? While 35 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,919 Speaker 1: you may not typically see people in the United States 36 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,959 Speaker 1: crouching with bent knees butts hovering above their heels, you'll 37 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: see that pose on the regular in other countries, particularly 38 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: in places where squat toilets where the pan or bowls 39 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: at floor level are common, like throughout Asia, India, and Africa, 40 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: but people in other parts of the world also commonly 41 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: issue chairs to squat when eating, talking, and just generally 42 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: hanging out. And while the super low squat you'll see 43 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: abroad may look much different than the standard issued gym 44 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 1: move common in the United States, Gilbert says they both 45 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: have their rightful place and booty building perks. She said 46 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: a typical gym squat and squats in other countries are 47 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: all fairly the same, but the depth, range of motion 48 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: and uses are different. She explained that a jim squat 49 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: will build strength, where squatting in daily life can build endurance. 50 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: Mattlock explained that it used to be more common for 51 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: people all over the world to give birth and use 52 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: the toilet in a squatting position. She said, the less 53 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: we squat, the weaker the muscle that make squatting possible 54 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: become a lot of fitness routines in yogic practices include 55 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: squatting exercises for good reason. Squatting increases leg strength and stability, 56 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: gets the blood flowing, warms up the body, and improves 57 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: muscle tone without putting excessive pressure on the joints. And 58 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: while no one really likes to talk about it that 59 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: toilet thing is important, hence the success of the squatty potty. 60 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: Victoria Albana, another New York based nurse practitioner and health coach, said, 61 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: we definitely should all be squatting to have a bowel movement. 62 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: When we're in a fully squatted position, it's a more 63 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: natural position for our colon. When the Victorians came up 64 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: with the concept of the throne toilet, it was a 65 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: big step backward for bowel health. But beyond the bathroom, 66 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: squatting has a ton of benefits that non practitioners are 67 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: missing out on. Albina said, I also think when we're 68 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: squatting all the time to do all sorts of things, 69 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: we're engaging our core in our back and engaging a 70 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: series of muscles that the average American is no longer engaging. 71 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: We're having more back pain than ever before. I don't 72 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: think it's a one to one correlation, but we're definitely 73 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: sitting more and commuting more, and it's one part of 74 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: the picture. While it's a good idea to get your 75 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: squad on more often, it's also important to remember that 76 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: not all squats are created equal. Mattlck said, rapid, careless 77 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: squatting can easily lead to back injuries, so it's important 78 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: to engage the core muscles and keep the back straight. 79 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: When adding squats to your daily routine, start with slow 80 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: movements for one to three minutes and work up to 81 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 1: a faster pace and longer duration. Whether you're squeezing more 82 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: squats in for overall health and mobility, or you're really 83 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: looking to build some muscle, Gilbert has a few takeaway tips. 84 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: She said, always keep the weight of your squats in 85 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: your heels, keep your chest up and shoulder blades back. 86 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: When you're doing a squat and coming up to the 87 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: standing position, always squeeze your butt. If you're leaning forward 88 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 1: or backward in your squats, you're more likely to injure yourself. 89 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: So if you're new to working out or just want 90 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: to improve your squatting technique, I recommend finding a bench 91 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 1: and practice the sitting and standing technique. Even just taking 92 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: a seat and then stay ending up fifteen to twenty 93 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: times in a row once a day can make a difference. 94 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: It's almost the same idea as the gym technique. Today's 95 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: episode is based on the article You Need to Get 96 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: your Squad on on how Stuffworks dot Com, written by 97 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: Michelle Constantinofsky Brain Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership 98 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: with how Stuffworks dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Klang. 99 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 1: Four more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 100 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.