So, this article caught my eye on FaceBook, because it is something my Sifu has talked about in classes more than once. I can't squat like in the picture. I think there is truth in this article. I wish I grew up in a culture that had more squatting. (Although maybe not the toilet part.) I think my knee's would be healthier? Thought I would share it here and see what others thought about it? The forgotten art of squatting is a revelation for bodies ruined by sitting
Years ago a physiotherapist told me that people from cultures that squat to go to the toilet have dramatically lower rates of hip replacement. Don't be afraid of squatting to go to the loo either - everything works a lot better from that position! I won't go into detail though
Great article! I think squatting is good for stretching out the lower back as well. Certainly feels like that to me. We do a series of mindful stretches at the start of my Wednesday tcc class. Laoshi always does a few which includes squatting and it’s one of the things I try to do fairly regularly at other times during the week.
I have seen more recently Personal Trainers and Physiotherapists refer to the "chair" as one of the bigger killers. Part of this is the sedentary life it encourages, also mobility has a lot to do with long term health. Myself I cannot squat like in that picture, as my thighs are too big from all the squatting I do with some casual wear it's not a problem, and I do it often. In fact I find it useful in BJJ transferring between positions during the initial grip fighting stage through the deep squat as a stable position.
Squatting like that takes practice or if you take "the chair is the enemy" point of view undoing years of cramped posture. But I have seen a number of martial arts places teaching sitting squats like this and they all had a diversity of student ages and body types, so I believe it can be done with sustained practice. An old buddy of mine had a saying, "if you can't do something, how often did you actually try?". There are 90 year olds that can sit like that. I think of that every time I try to touch my toes in the shower each morning or try to reach my pushup reps target. The struggle is real!!
