Squats are Important in Fitness

A squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads, hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body. The great thing about squats is that they are more than just a way to exercise, they are a foundation to your overall strength in so many ways. They are also fundamental to your ability to function well in daily life.  Just make sure you maintain proper form when performing a squat, and listen to your body- if you feel any pain, do not proceed.  Here are a few more reasons why Squats are Important in Fitness:

• Builds Muscle in Your Entire Body: Squats can actually help you improve both your upper and lower body strength. It is obvious that squats help to build your leg muscles, but they also create an anabolic environment, which promotes body-wide muscle building. 
In fact, when done properly, squats are so intense that they trigger the release of testosterone and human growth hormone in your body, which are vital for muscle growth and will also help to improve muscle mass when you train other areas of your body aside from your legs.

• Functional Exercise Makes Real-Life Activities Easier: Functional exercises are those that help your body to perform real-life activities, as opposed to simply being able to operate pieces of gym equipment. Squats are one of the best functional exercises out there, as humans have been squatting since the hunter-gatherer days. When you perform squats, you build muscle and help your muscles work more efficiently, as well as promote mobility and balance. All of these benefits translate into your body moving more efficiently in the real world too.

• Burn More Fat: One of the most time-efficient ways to burn more calories is actually to gain more muscle! For every pound of additional muscle you gain, your body will burn an additional 50-70 calories per day. Squats aid your body in building muscle, therefore squats aid in burning fat.

• Maintain Mobility and Balance: Strong legs are crucial for staying mobile as you get older, and squats are phenomenal for increasing leg strength. They also work out your core, stabilizing muscles, which will help you to maintain balance, while also improving the communication between your brain and your muscle groups, which helps prevent falls.

• Increase Your Flexibility: Doing squats increases joint flexibility. The ankles, knees, hips and lower back are all utilized in the squatting motion. Be sure to maintain proper form to avoid injury. If you feel any pain in these areas, stop doing the exercises until the pain is gone.

• Prevent Injuries: Most athletic injuries involve weak stabilizer muscles, ligaments and connective tissues, which squats help strengthen. They also help prevent injury by improving your flexibility and balance!

• Boost Your Sports Performance: Squats can help you jump higher and run faster. Studies have linked squatting strength with athletic ability. This is why this exercise is part of virtually every professional athlete’s training program.

• Tone Your Backside, Abs and Entire Body: Few exercises work as many muscles as the squat, so it’s an excellent multi-purpose activity useful for toning and tightening your behind, abs, and, of course, your legs. Furthermore, squats build your muscles, and these muscles participate in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity, helping to protect you against obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

• Help You Detoxify: Squats improve the pumping of body fluids, aiding in removal of waste and delivery of nutrition to all tissues, including organs and glands.

• Lifts Your Butt: Doing squats gives the glutes a powerful workout, helping to tighten and lift the butt. To increase this effect, give your glutes an extra squeeze when returning to a standing position.