(as previously published in the Merrimack Journal)

Squats. Maybe you have heard of them. Maybe you have heard some of the myths about them like, “squats are bad for your knees”, or “squats are bad for your back”. I especially enjoy encountering someone in the gym who rationalizes to me why they “don’t need to do squats”. It’s funny to hear that because we ALL squat. Every day. It’s part of basic human function.

Do you doubt that you squat every day? Go into the bathroom and perform another basic human function. When you’re finished, stand up. You just performed a “Box Squat”. Sit back down. Stand back up. Now you have done 2 repetitions in the Box Squat (you initially sat down to the toilet, stood up, sat down, stood up… that’s 2 repetitions). See how easy and convenient resistance training is? Another example? Go sit down at the table for breakfast. Stand up. Sit back down. Stand up. Sit back down. Stand up again. Congratulations. You just performed 3 repetitions in the Box Squat. That’s a 50% increase from your last set. You’re progressing nicely!




I think you get the point. Squatting is totally necessary for basic human function and your day to day living. So now let’s talk more specifically about the Box Squat as a part of your regular exercise program. Anytime you squat to a toilet, chair, hassock, milk crate, or anything else that will safely support your weight, you are squatting to a “box”. A “box” just represents a platform of specific height. In general, the lower the box, the more difficult the box squat. Squatting lower means you need to move a given weight (your own bodyweight, in these examples) over a larger distance. An important, little known fact about squatting – the lower you squat, the BETTER it is for your knees. A critical point of advice for box squatting is SIT GENTLY TO THE BOX. Sit down as if you were sitting on an egg (don’t break the egg!). Land gently. Then stand back up. Make sure that the feet are placed in a way so they look like mirror images of each other. Your feet should be planted firmly about shoulder width apart and your heels should NOT raise from the floor as you descend to the box. Descend slowly, sit gently, and stand up. Control your body.

Do you want to continue to be mobile, functional, and pain free as you grow older? Yes? Then don’t lose your ability to squat. Here is a small challenge for those readers out there interested enough to humor me. Find a chair or hassock in your house that will safely support your body weight. Take a medium sized blanket or towel and fold it a couple times so you end up with a neat square that will fit nicely on the “box” you have chosen. Making sure you have given yourself ample room to squat, sit down gently to the box, allow your body weight to momentarily transfer to the box, then stand back up. Repeat this process 9 more times in a row. You have just performed 1 set of 10 repetitions in the Box Squat. Rest 1 minute (watch a clock). Perform 5 more sets of 10 repetitions. Rest 1 minute between each set.

I would enjoy hearing about your experiences and results.

Warning: if you have never done this before, expect some Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).