Chair squats are a great lower body strengthening exercise that targets the muscles of your hips, knees, feet, and ankles. This is essentially a squat, but with a chair behind you to help maintain balance and proper form, and to offer support if needed.
Here's how to do a chair squat:
- Start Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed outwards. Position a chair behind you.
- Lower Yourself: Keeping your back straight and core engaged, slowly lower your hips as if you're going to sit down in the chair.
- Touch the Chair (or Hover): You can either lightly touch the chair with your butt or hover just above the chair without actually sitting down. Aim for a squat depth where your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as close as you can comfortably get).
- Engage and Push Back Up: Engage your glutes and leg muscles to push back up to the starting position. Maintain a straight back throughout the movement.
- Repeat: Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.
Important Considerations:
- Chair Height: Use a chair that allows you to maintain good form while squatting. The height should allow you to squat to a depth where your thighs are close to parallel to the floor.
- Core Engagement: Keep your core engaged throughout the exercise to protect your lower back.
- Controlled Movement: Perform the exercise with slow, controlled movements. Avoid dropping down quickly.
- Progression: To make the exercise harder, you can try holding a weight (dumbbell or kettlebell) or using a lower chair.
Chair squats are a versatile exercise that can be modified to suit different fitness levels. If you're new to squatting, this is an excellent way to build strength and confidence before progressing to unassisted squats.
