Squatting as a posture has become somewhat out of fashion in industrialized countries. Yet squatting can have positive effects on the musculoskeletal system in everyday life and in sports.
What is squatting?
From its word origin, squatting describes a crouching posture. To assume this position, movements in many joints and joint chains are necessary. From its word origin, squatting describes a crouching posture. To assume this position, movements in many joints and joint chains are necessary. When going down into the squat position, the hip and knee joints are increasingly bent and reach the maximum range of motion in a complete movement, so that the backs of the upper and lower legs touch each other. The basic prerequisite for this is full mobility in these joints. The strong hip flexion tilts the pelvis backward and inflects the spine, and the abdomen reaches the front of the thighs. The ankle joints are brought into complete extension (dorsiflexion). The feet either remain completely on the ground with the sole of the foot or lift off with the heel. This evasive movement can have a variety of causes. Most commonly, leverage is responsible, but joint dysfunction or muscle shortening can also be the cause. In people where the thigh is longer than the lower leg and foot, the body’s center of gravity is increasingly shifted backwards in the squat position and there is a risk of tipping over. Lifting the heel brings it forward again a bit, so that its projection falls back into the support surface and a better balance position is created.
Function and task
In times when people did not know how to sit, the squat was a body position that was used quite normally in certain situations, such as eating or meeting, but also as a resting position. This is still the case today among many primitive peoples. Squatting has many benefits for the internal organs. The small and large intestines are straightened, the closure between the two organs works better than in other body positions, and there is less danger of reflux. Emptying the colon can be done more easily, the rectal muscles become stronger and can be used better in purging. Even today, in many Asian, African, but also European countries, the squat is still used as a position for defecation. The small pelvis is straightened in the squatting position and its volume is expanded, the prostate, bladder and uterus are relieved and protected. The pelvic floor muscles can be used more effectively. Therefore, squatting is also a favorable birthing position that can be used in water or dry. By regularly training this posture, pregnant women can optimally prepare themselves for birth. Squatting also occurs in sports as a functional body position. An incomplete variation of this position is the downhill squat in alpine skiing. Due to the strong flexion in the hip and knee joints, the leg muscles are automatically put into a state of activity. Because of this and the flexed position in the joints, skiers are better able to control the skis and react to unforeseen situations. Other athletes use the squat as preparation for a jumping activity. The muscles responsible for developing the force of the jump are brought into a pre-stretch. The elastic elements of the muscle are stretched like a rubber band, obtaining potential energy that can be exploited for the stretching movement of the jump. The initial force is greater due to this component than without pre-stretching. Typically, ski jumpers take advantage of this, but so do volleyball players when jumping to block, most especially beach volleyball players. Squatting is likewise the end position for squats, which are still used as an effective exercise in strength training today.
Diseases and ailments
An important factor that ensures the execution of a complete squat is the necessary mobility in the leg joints involved. In the hip and knee joints, osteoarthritis often affects mobility, making it impossible to perform a complete squat. In the ankle joint, it is more often shortening of the calf muscles that prevent the foot from remaining on the ground. This makes the support surface very small and the position unstable.Affected people cannot perform the squat for a long time, as it quickly becomes uncomfortable and strenuous. Pain can also hinder or prevent performance. Due to the increasing flexion, the joint partners get into a different position in relation to each other and the pressure and tension conditions in the joints and the surrounding area change. If structures that are damaged get into the pressure zone or are stretched, pain develops and the continuation of movement is at some point no longer possible or sensible. Affected areas can be cartilage-free bone zones in osteoarthritis and damaged menisci and ligaments, especially the lateral and cruciate ligaments in the knee, as well as the external ligaments in the ankle joint. The same applies to muscle injuries, especially in the front of the thigh and in the calf muscles. After surgery, flexion in the hip and knee joints may be temporarily or permanently limited. Squatting is then no longer possible or only partially possible. After anterior cruciate ligament surgery, flexion in the knee is usually limited for a period of time to prevent unfavorable pull on the cruciate ligament plastic and a new tear. Orthoses are used for support and control, and are adjusted to the allowable amount of flexion. Particularly after knee surgery where the incision is across the front of the knee, as in a joint replacement, flexion deficits must be expected for a prolonged period. Initially, maximum flexion is not allowed because of traction, but the often massive swelling does not allow it either. Maximum range of motion is usually not achieved despite rehabilitation measures and therapy. As a result, complete squatting is no longer possible, but usually the functional result is good.
