
Squatting is a foundational human movement. Anthropologists can tell that most humans have used squatting as a primary resting position because their bones have “squatting facets.” People who grow up squatting frequently enough will develop bones shaped to facilitate this position. Because our physiology is designed around certain movements that were once key to human life, it’s worth looking at how these movements can serve our bodies and health today.
Not only is squatting a more active form of resting, but it is very healthy for the pelvis for many reasons. It’s great for hip, knee, and ankle mobility; glute and leg strength; and balanced pelvic floor tone. Having hips that can move into a full squat also builds hips that are more available for many other activities.
Squatting is important for pelvic floor health. The pelvic floor exists in relationship with the rest of the pelvis. Frequent squatting helps create a healthy environment for the pelvic floor to live in by nurturing balance between the many tissues that operate around it.
Toddlers tend to be pretty great at squatting, but in cultures dominated by chair use, we often lose the capability to squat with ease. There are many ways to squat and all of them carry benefits for your whole body. The following are some ideas to get you started restoring this active position in your life.

To start teaching your body to squat again, lie on your back. Gently, pull your knees into your chest. You can stay holding your knees, or you can reach down and hold your feet. This “happy baby” yoga position puts your body into the same shape as a squat. The key difference is that it is unloaded. That means your ankles, knees, and hips don’t have to bear your body weight, making this a good place to start if you have joint issues you’re working with. You can give your joints the experience of flexing into these deeper positions while being in total control of how much you ask from them.

Once you are looking to increase the load on your lower body, you can get onto your hands and knees. Slowly back your hips toward your heels. This is like “child pose” from yoga. You can decide to have your knees and ankles wider or narrower or try different variations. From this stable position, you can work on challenging your body to come into a squat position while still having a lot of control over how much work you are doing. Try bringing your toes under you rather than resting on the top of your feet—this will ask your ankles to flex deeply in the same way as a squat.

Even if you don’t ask your body to squat to the ground regularly, you probably often lower your body down to a chair. Find a sturdy chair and take some time to sit down, stand up, and repeat several times. Notice how you lower yourself onto the chair. Often there is a moment where we let go and fall the rest of the way to our seat. What if instead, you engage the back of your legs to control your descent for the entire time? When you go to stand up again, how do you manage that? What lifts you up? Do you use momentum? Do your hands push against anything? What else happens? You can involve your body more actively by pushing your feet into the ground, feeling that connection between your feet and your core, and standing up with your legs. You are practicing the top part of a squat. If you can’t lift and lower yourself to a chair without using a little momentum or a fall, raise your seat up high enough to the point where you can. As you gain more strength in your legs and core, you can lower your seat to practice squatting closer and closer to the ground.
Using a chair or other seat is one way of bolstering your squat. You are raising the ground to meet you to the level of ability you’re at. Bolsters help us to practice and refine our skills more effectively. Another way to bolster your squat is to put a wedge under your heels. Like squatting on a downhill slope, this requires less of a bend in your ankles, often making it easier to stay in a squat position. As you practice squatting more often, you can also practice squatting for longer duration. Using props like this can help you build up this ability.

One more technique is to hold onto something sturdy like a doorframe while you squat. Simply hold on with your hands or wrap a strong strap around the doorhandle and use this support to help you get down and up. You get to choose how much you rely on the doorframe and can vary how much you challenge your own body at each point of your squat. When we lack strength or stability in some areas, it can be common to bear-down, creating unnecessary pressure in the abdomen and pelvic floor. By practicing squatting with the amount of support you need, you can help your pelvic floor to both engage and relax appropriately.

Squatting in the world:
It’s great to take the time to mindfully practice life skills like squatting. You’re going to get even more benefit if you bring those skills out into the world. A great place to start is by squatting to get up and down from whatever seats you choose throughout your day. A prime example of those seats is the toilet. Squatting when you get up and down from the toilet creates a regular, short-duration movement opportunity a few times every day. Additionally, you can buy or make a squatting platform to stand by your toilet that allows you to get into a deeper squat position whenever you frequent the bathroom. This is also good for your gut and pelvic floor because it helps you eliminate without recruiting intra-abdominal pressure.

Another way to get more squatting in your life is to bring activities down to the floor. Diaper changing, laundry folding, meal prep, playing board games, floor cleaning, and weeding can all be shifted to the floor or lower levels to invite your body to experience squatting regularly.

As you play with squatting a little or a lot, feel free to take as many breaks as you need. Some breaks can also just look like kneeling or shifting into a different squat variation. There is not one perfect way to squat, but there are ways that are more beneficial or appropriate for you. Always treat yourself with respect and kindness, especially when working towards a new goal.