Ready State YouTube channel, CrossFit trainer and mobility coach Dr. Kelly Starrett's 10-minute squat has become a popular way of challenging the body.
"One of the ways we can begin to tune the body is by spending some time in these grounded positions," he says. "When we're in the bottom position of this end-range squat, what we're telling our brains is 'these are positions and shapes that we value... Being able to long sit, side sit, 90-90, is all part of a movement language that has been lost, but is easy to start to restore."
Starrett ensures his knees are in a stable, flexed position, his hips are flexed to end range, and his back is relaxed. "In order to have a normal, healthy lumbar spine, you've got to expose it to flexion and extension," he says.
Squatting with the feet facing straight forward can help to generate more force and create a higher function of stability through the pelvis and femur. Starrett argues that what we do with our legs and pelvis can have a hugely beneficial impact on our backs, which is one of the areas of the body with the most commonly reported complaint.
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