This exercise is called the best for losing body fat and increasing the muscles of the lower body. The whole world is obsessed with squats, but experts rank them among the most overvalued exercises. Many well-known coaches are categorically against the presence of squats in the programs of their wards, arguing that exercise creates a risk of injury. Who to listen to, do squats or avoid them? If you are wondering why it hurts to squat, then you will find the answer in this material.
Squatting is an important movement, whether you do it with weight or not. This fact is undeniable, because in everyday life a person often has to squat. But you need to squat properly so that the heels do not come off the floor, the feet keep a flat position, and the back remains perfectly straight. If you break at least one of these conditions, there’s bad news for you.
Why is squatting harmful?
Doing a squat properly is not harmful, but for a number of reasons it can be harmful for people to squat, all associated with a risk of injury. When performing a squat, a lot of muscles work, so the exercise is so effective, so it can cause pain, as in the lower back. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to securing the squat, as your problem may be different from that of another person.
Everything is personal-this applies to the depth of the squat, how much you need to squat depends on the individual characteristics of your body. Personalization is a vital part of any workout with squats, it is important to notice the discomfort in time, determine what caused it, and then make the necessary adjustments so that the discomfort does not turn into pain and does not lead to injury.
squat
Problem – lack of control
Squatting with a barbell on the shoulders, a beginner will simply make mistakes. They pay much attention to weight – how to hold, how to place comfortably on the shoulders, but forget about the obligatory conditions – the straight back and the correct position of the legs. There is another extreme, because of which people lose control of the situation, want to squat as low as possible.
Unnecessary movements and excessive tension where it should not be generate pain and lead to injury.
The problem is the inclination of the body
If it hurts to squat, you may be leaning too forward. From this exercise does not cease to be a squat, the buttocks receive even more load, but more load is exerted on the hamstrings. If you are not an advanced powerlifter who knows how to work with incredibly high weight and squats deep enough, then your rib cage should not bend to the floor.
body tilt
The problem is muscle weakness
Pain during the execution of squats can be caused by the weakness of the quadriceps, if you do not pay attention to it, further exercise will lead to damage. If you notice pain in the quadriceps region, it means that the program should be strengthened with exercises such as Bulgarian squats and lunges, as well as others that are aimed at flexing and extending the knees.
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Problem-poor mobility of the ankle
We are confident in the stability of the support provided by sports shoes, so we do not think about whether the shins are correctly positioned during squats, whether the ankles change their position. The shin should move forward, all the mechanics of the exercise depend on it.
Problem-weak knees
Knees can hurt not only because they are too weak to perform this type of movement. Squatting is a natural movement for the body, so most often the cause of pain is in the wrong position of the knees. If during the squat your knees are getting closer, then you are doing the exercise incorrectly. If the knees are pushed behind the line of socks, the execution will also be erroneous.
knee pain
The problem is the wrong breathing
It’s hard to believe, but it can hurt you to squat because of poor breathing. If you inhale deeply during the downward movement and exhale during the upward movement, then you do not take into account the abdominal pressure. At the beginning of each repetition, you need to take a deep breath and regroup the body, then you need to sit down, then start to get up and exhale through the clamped lips in the heaviest part of the lifting.
The problem is squatting in sneakers
Simple sports lovers are unlikely to buy separate shoes for squats. But it is important to remember – sneakers with a thick sole will not fit, they will hurt to squat. The thick sole does not give a stable position of the foot, the risk of injury increases, especially if the sole is not only thick, but also soft. If you do not have suitable shoes for squatting – with a thin and rigid sole, then squat barefoot.
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