I try to squat whenever I need to get low to the ground. I was told a long time ago that squatting helps maintain the integrity of the pelvic floor muscles. It has certainly helped me do that as well as remain flexible.
My friend said I should be squatting with my feet parallel, but I find this very uncomfortable & not very intuitive. It would seem that it is better for the hip joints to have the legs slightly externally rotated.
Please comment.
Thank you!
3 weeks 5 days ago
07/05/2009 - 7:54am
Squatting is great for the pelvic floor muscles. The feet parrallel is a common and poor instruction in our culture. In villiage India the feet tend to turn out, helping the pelvis settle between the legs, that is what is truely natural for us humans. Another factor to consider is that in our culture many of us are not used to squatting low to the ground. The hips ossify typically around the age of 19 - in our culture most of us were raised sitting on chairs and not squatting on the ground - hence our hips have "set" in a shape that doesnt enable low squatting.
If you are flexible and entirely comfortable in a low squat, then great, it is a very natural position, with the feet turned slightly out. If it feels forced or uncomfortable then treating sitting down on a chair and getting back up to standing as a squat movement might be a variant more accessible to hips in our culture - still good for the pelvic floor.
3 weeks 5 days ago
11/30/2011 - 6:48pm
John....I appreciate your response. Interesting about the hips ossifying around 19-I did not know that. If I position my feet as you suggest, I have no problem maintaining a low squat. Thanks for the information.
3 weeks 5 days ago
07/05/2009 - 7:54am
Your intuition is sound, glad to be able to back it up.
John