6 Essential Mobility Exercises for a Good Squat

Can you keep your torso tall as you lower into the squat?  
Do your heels pop off the ground?
Do your knees cave towards one another?

Squatting is a fundamental aspect of our lives. It is a movement we perfect as children but forget by the time we hit adulthood. A proper squat indicates that you have good motion at your hips, knees, and ankles while simultaneously controlling your torso. When you lose the ability to perform this basic functional movement, you put yourself at a higher risk of injury. This post gives you 6 mobility exercises to improve your squat form from head to toe!

Top 5 Gluteal Exercises Backed by Research

"Squats should be performed by people of all ages.  I am not talking about loading weight onto a squat rack, but simply the ability to bring your butt below knees without falling over"
​-Dr. Jim Heafner PT, DPT, OCS
Heafner Health Physical Therapy
​Boulder, Colorado

What Do You Need to Know About Squatting

The squat is considered a compound, multi-joint movement that targets the gluteals, hamstrings, and quadriceps. When performed correctly, it activates over 200 muscles. The single leg squat shows exceptional muscle activation of both the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus (1). These muscle groups are extremely important in decreasing your risk of low back, hip, and knee pain. 

Essential Mobility Exercises

As I mentioned above, a proper squat requires coordinated movement in the ankles, hips, core, and middle back. Typically a loss of mobility in one of these regions is a contributing factor to someone's inability to squat. Below are the TOP 6 exercises I routinely perform to maintain good squat form. 

Mid Back Mobility

Key Points

• Pause at the end of the movement
• Keep your chin tucked
• Hips on the floor

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Ankle Mobility

Key Points

• Keep your heel grounded
  
• Drive your knee over your 2nd toe​
  

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Maintain an Upright Posture

Key Points

• Start in a full squat position​
• Open your upper chest while maintaining the squat position

Calf and Hamstring Mobility

Key Points

• Press your chest open toward the floor​
• ​Reach your heel towards the ground​
• Hold 2-3 sec. on each side

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Outer Hip Mobility

Key Points

• Square your hips toward the ground
• The reach is optional (only if comfortable!)

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The Full Pattern

Key points:

• Sit back into the squat
• Press your thumbs back against the wall and keep the torso upright

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