After months of movements reduced to the bare minimum, closed gyms and swimming pools, impracticable sports and, at most, a few walks around the house, we may need to reactivate the muscles of our legs and strengthen them while, at the same time, acquiring new postural skills to perform at best, and without injuries, the “weight lifting” activities that we normally do at home by picking up a child or a grandchild or, for example, shopping bags at the supermarket.

The exercise that I will describe this month will help you achieve both goals:

• Strengthening of the legs
• Correct postural attitude

I present you with a softened, but no less rewarding, version of one of the most challenging exercises of all: the SQUAT!

It is an exercise that requires a correct technique adapted to everyone’s characteristics.
Not being able to look over you one by one, we will use a chair to do this exercise in the best possible way and in total safety!

Start from a standing position. Put the chair behind you.

You are standing up and the chair is behind you.

What do you need to check before starting?

• Place the feet just wider than the shoulders and with the tips of the feet turned slightly outwards;
• Keep your arms stretched out in front of you; their weight will help you rearrange your butt (when you feel fitter, you can keep your hands on your hips, opening your chest well);
• Tilt your torso slightly forward, while your butt leans back.

The descent phase begins!

• Now think about backing up with your butt.
• The curvature of the back remains neutral and, activating the abdominals, the descent begins in a controlled way;
• As you are descending, the sensation is that the weight of the body is concentrated in the center-back area of the foot;
• During the descent, the knees remain stationary, they act as your fulcrum;

Get down, touch your chair, and get up.

During the ascent:

• Think about pushing your heels hard against the floor;
• Begin the ascent, maintaining the same control you held during the descent and the arms in front of you;
• The weight of the body is in the center of the foot and it is equally distributed between the two feet.

If you haven’t trained for long, start with 5 reps and increase as you feel fitter!

In addition to the invigorating benefits of exercising, as I told you, this position strengthens the muscles of the lower limbs, avoiding loading the lumbar spine in daily movements and, therefore, causing the typical back pain.

Let me know how it was!

Michela Minozzi